Fiber ID Guide

Fall 2011

*Fiberglass

*Plain weave pattern

*Manufactured

*Odorless when you burn it

*Resistant to heat & fire

*Neutral

*Fiberglass is usually used as the outer layer of casts

Chemicals Reaction

Acetone N/A

Bleach N/A

NaOH N/A

HCl N/A

H2SO4 N/A

Daria Capaldi

SPANDEX BY JULIA WALSH

Synthetic Fiber Stretchy material No real weave pattern, more of

just fibers melted together Almost like rubber

When burned it melts Has a chemical odor

Acid or Base – N/A

Other chemical reactions – N/A

Interesting use Zentai suit, full body spandex suit No real purpose

RAYON

• It is usually fond in apparel and home furniture.

• Low wet strength, it might shrink when wet.

Manufactured Fiber

Burning

• Will burn after the flame is put away,

• It has an odor similar to burning paper

• It does not have and afterglow when it is pulled away form the fire, cotton does.

Acids

• Rayon is composed of cellulose fiber, made of natural occurring polymers.

• When burning it will burn acid gases , making it an ACID

Chemical Solutions

• Bleach: Discharge Color• Acetone: resistant to

acetone• Weak base: Resistant to

weak bases• HCL: Color changing• H2SO4: Resistant, only a

slight change in color

Acetate (man made)• Very fine and thin strands • Plain weave pattern • When burnt it actually melts and smells like

vinegar and burning wood • Decomposition: weak acid • Will completely dissolve in acetone - Might oxidize and ignite with the air in bleach - It does not react with sodium hydroxide - It will be disintegrated entirely by both

hydrochloric acid and sulfuric acid

- Besides cloth acetate fibers are used in cigarette butts

Tim and Brian

Felt• Blended laminated • Nonwoven cloth• Man-made fiber: Produced by matting,

condensing, and pressing woolen fibers • ACID• When burning: smells like burnt hair• Reaction nearing flame: instantly ignites • Behavior in flame: Burns for some time

Chemical Reaction

Acetone No Change: Absorbs liquid

Bleach No Change: Absorbs liquid

NaOH No Change: Absorbs liquid

HCL Color change

H2SO4 No Change: Absorbs liquid

**Felt is used everywhere from the automotive industry, to musical instruments and home construction**

Silk Jennifer Carr

Tight weave fabric, straight fiber Burnt-smells like burnt hair Begins to melt as soon as it nears flame Catch on fire when placed in flame Goes out as soon as it leaves flame “Base” fiber Chemical testing

Bleach-turn yellow Acetone-do nothing NaOH-turn brown HCL-brighter color H2SO4-brighter color

Used to make parachutes in WWII

Bamboo Jennifer Carr

Fibers can be woven into any number of materials and fabrics

Smells like burned grass/wood Takes a long time to light and burns steadily and

consistently “Base” or “Acid” depending on what type of soil it

grows in Chemical tests

Bleach-bleach out the color and destroy the fiber Acetone-no effect NaOH-separate the fibers HCL-slight bubbling H2SO4-hardens fibers

Bamboo can be made into sheets similar to silk, satin, and Egyptian cotton without many of the undesired qualities

Burlap

• Plain Weave• Resembles a checkered board• The warp and weft are interchangeable• Burlap is a form of Jute• Tendency to fray at the edges• Manufactured• Artificial• Continuous• When burning smells like wood burning• Acid• In the firer it burns very slowly and it keeps

burning till there is nothing left except for ash

• Burlap is used for potato sacks that are used in potato sack racesFiber Acetone Bleach NaOH HCL H2SO4

Burlap Shrinks The fiber breaks up and changes color to purple

Completely changes color and absorbs

Color purple

Changes color purple

Sarah Strauss

Acrylic

• Airplane windows are made out of acrylic• Synthetic• Neutral• When near a flam it fuses and shrinks• In the flame it flares puckers and melts• Leaving the flame it continues to burn and melt• It smells like burnt plastic

Fiber Acetone Bleach NaOH HCL H2SO4

Acrylic n/a n/a yellowish n/a n/a

OLEFIN

• Synthetic fiber• Twill weave • Low flammability• In flame it melts• Smells like burning plastic• It is a neutral• Used in rugs, rope, and vehicle interior

Acetone Bleach NaOH HCL H2SO4

Break up Starts to break up

Breaks up/ absorbs

Soaks up

Nothing

COTTON

• Has a plain weave and straight fibers• Smells like a scented candle when burned• In fire it completely burns• It is an acid• It comes from a plant• The cotton hulls are used for fertilizer, fuel, and

packing.

Acetone Bleach NaOH HCl H2SO4

No change Soaks some of it up

It breaks up It soaks it up

No change

Jute• Natural fiber

▫ Vegetable fiber• Weave: plain weave• Frayed when cut• Smoke smells like burning wood• Burns slowly• Acid• Chemical tests

▫ Acetone-breaking apart a lot▫ Bleach- change to a yellowish color▫ NaOH- no reaction▫ HCl- no reaction▫ H2SO4-no reaction

**woven into curtains, chair coverings, carpets, area rugs, hessian cloth, and backing for linoleum

Polyester• Synthetic Fiber• Weave: Satin weave• Straight when cut• Smells like melted plastic when burning• Burns fast• Acid• Chemical tests

▫Acetone- no reaction▫Bleach- no reaction▫NaOH- breaking apart▫HCl- no reaction▫H2SO4- no reaction

**polyester is used for insulating material for

houses

HempClaudia Drinnan

Plain weave, straight pattern Smells like incense; natural smell Hemp burns when in fire, shrivels up

and blackens Acid Natural How it reacts in:

Acetone: no change Bleach: lost color NaOH: no change HCl: no change H2SO4 : no change Hemp can be used in detergent,

jewelry, body care products, art supplies, food products, paper and biomass fuels

LINEN

Description Weave Regular fire smell Caught on fire quickly and burns

quick Acid Acetone –unraveling Bleach- very foggy NaOH, HCl, and H2SO4- no

reaction Interesting fact Used in loafers

KEVLARDescription Very tight weave pattern Smells like burning paper when burnt Takes awhile to catch on fire Base Acetone- partially dissolves the substances Bleach- Slowly decomposes NaOH- Deteriorates the fibers individually HCL- No reaction H2SO4- No reaction

Interesting Use Used in shelters for protection against tornadoes and

high forced winds.

CanvasCanvas is an extremely heavy-duty plain-woven fabric

used for making sails, tents, marquees, backpacks, and other items for which sturdiness is required. It is also

popularly used by artists as a painting surface, typically stretched across a wooden frame. It is also used in such

fashion objects as handbags and shoes.Modern canvas is usually made of cotton or linen,

although historically it was made from hemp. It differs from other heavy cotton fabrics, such as denim, in being plain weave rather than twill weave. Canvas

comes in two basic types: plain and duck. The threads in duck canvas are more tightly woven.

Canvas burns very slowly and it is not easy to put out. When it is burned it smells like burned paper. Canvas is

an acid. Over 3 under 1 weave pattern. Man-made.

Fiber Bleach Acetone Weak Base HCl H₂SO₄

Canvas Nothing Nothing Got Lighter Nothing Nothing

Nylon Weave pattern is clean

cut and straight. Smells like burnt plastic It burns quickly and

disintegrates. Nylon is a base, both

litmus papers turned blue.

Nylon is used in panty hose Individual Nylon Fiber

Nylon Jacket

Acetone Bleach NaOH HCl H2SO4

Nylon N/A N/A Fell apart N/A N/A

Triacetate

Triacetate Fiber

Triacetate Suit

Weave pattern is clean cut and straight.

Smells vinegar, burning wood.

It burns easily, flickers then melts.

The litmus papers are both red, which means it is an acid.

Used in Dresses, coats and sports apparel.

Acetone Bleach NaOH HCl H2SO4

Triacetate translucent, disitegrates N/A N/A N/A N/A

Wool

Description: Man-made Smell when Burning: Something overcooked in an

over (burnt) How it reacts/burns in fire: Burned at a slow pace

and it didn't completely disintegrate leaving black residue at the bottom of the test tube.

Decomposition: Base Reaction in all test solutions: It had no reaction in

every single test solution except for the Bleach which caused the fiber to bubble and fizz.

Interesting Fact: In addition to clothing, wool has been used for blankets, horse rugs, saddle cloths, carpeting, felt, wool insulation, and upholstery

Bryan FinkTim Rainey

Wool Fiber