From our March 2003 Issue

Fiber ID

Is your fabric stash full of UFOs (unidentified fabric objects) and you have no idea of the fiber content?



If you purchase unmarked remnants, or you've misplaced the care instructions that were on the bolt at the time of purchase, the textile burn test can help you. It's easily performed at home with no technical tools needed.
Working over the sink, hold a small snippet of fabric in tweezers and light a match or lighter. Place the fabric in the flame and observe the color of the smoke, the ash or residue and the odor.
In general, if the ash is soft and the odor is of burning hair or paper, the fabric is a natural fiber. Cellulosic fibers (cotton, linen and rayon) burn rapidly with a yellow flame. When the flame is removed, there is an afterglow, then soft gray ash.
Synthetics burn with an acrid, chemical or vinegar-like odor and leave a plastic bead.
Polyester and nylon shrink from the flame, burn slowly and melt, leaving a hard, brittle black ball. Check the chart (below) for more specifics.
If you suspect a fabric is acetate, double-check by placing a scrap of it in a small amount of fingernail polish remover-if you're correct, the fabric will dissolve.
Testing synthetic- and natural-fiber blends gets a bit more complicated. The residue may exhibit characteristics of all the fibers involved and the odor may be difficult to define.

TEXTILE BURN TEST

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FIBER		BURN RESULTS
Acetate or triacetate		Flames and burns quickly; melts into brittle, black bead; smells like hot vinegar.
Acrylic		Flames and burns rapidly with hot, sputtering flame; melts into hard, black, irregular bead; acrid odor.
Cotton or linen		Ignites on contact with flames; burns quickly and leaves an afterglow when put out; leaves light, feathery, gray ash; smells like burning paper.
Nylon		Burns slowly; melts into hard, gray, round bead; smells like celery.
Polyester		Pulls away from flame; melts into hard gray or tan round bead; black smoke; chemical odor.
Rayon		Burns slowly without flame with slight melting; leaves soft black ash; smells like burning paper.
Silk		Curls away from flame with slight melting; burns slowly; leaves soft black ash; smells like burned hair.
Spandex		Burns and melts; leaves soft, sticky residue; chemical odor.
Wool		Curls away from flame; burns slowly and self-extinguishes; leaves brittle, small black bead; smells like burned hair.

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PRIMEDIA Inc.
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