FIBER ANALYSIS
Fibers
Defined as the smallest unit of a textile visible to
the naked eye
Used as supporting evidence to help place an
individual at the crime scene
95% of fibers are lost within the first 24 hours, so
fiber collection at the beginning of an investigation
is critical
Transfer
Direct transfer: fibers transferred directly from
victim to suspect or suspect to victim
Secondary transfer: a victim has fibers that were
picked up and then transferred to the suspect
Fiber Analysis—What Do You Look For?
• Type of fiber: what is the composition of the fiber?
How common or rare?
• Color: do fibers from the suspect’s clothes match the
color found in the victim’s house? Is the type of dye
the same?
• Number of fibers found: more fibers suggest
possible violence or prolonged contact
• Where the fiber was found: can be used to place
the suspect at the crime scene
Fiber Analysis—What Do You Look For? (cont.)
• Textile the fiber originated from: carpet?
Upholstery?
• Multiple fiber transfers: are there numerous
sources of fibers; again, more sources suggests
violence or prolonged contact
• Type of crime committed: each type of crime has
an expected pattern of contact between suspect,
victim, and crime scene
• Time between crime and discovery of fiber: the
longer the time, the less value the fiber has as
evidence
Fiber Analysis—Physical Characteristics
Texture: how does the fiber feel? Rough? Smooth?
Color
Crimp: is the fiber straight or crimped (wavy)
Pliability: is the fiber pliable (bends) or non-
pliable (breaks)
Resilience: is the fiber resilient (reshapes after
being crumpled) or non-resilient
Fiber Analysis—Chemical Characteristics
Flame Test: what does the fiber do when placed
near the flame? In the flame? Moved out of the
flame? What color is the flame?
Odor: what odor does the fiber have after being
placed in the flame
Residue: is there any residue? If so, what does the
residue look like?
pH
Do not perform any test that destroys the fiber unless large quantities of the
fibers were collected at the crime scene
Fiber Burn Analysis Key
Fiber Classification
Natural Fibers: made from animals, plants, or
minerals that are mined from the ground
Synthetic Fibers: man-made fibers; these fibers
can be derived from cellulose (regenerated fibers)
or from petroleum products (synthetic polymer
fibers)
Natural Fibers—Animals
Fur—used to make coats and
gloves
Hair—wool (sheep),
cashmere and mohair (goats),
and angora (rabbits, camels,
llamas, alpacas)
Silk—from the cocoons of the
silk caterpillar
All animal fibers are made
up of protein.
Natural Fibers—Plant
Seeds—cotton is in the seedpod of
cotton plants; easily woven and
dyed so common in clothing
Fruit—coir is made from the
covering surrounding coconuts;
used to make baskets
Stem—flax (linen) and jute (twine)
Leaf—manila and sisal; both used
for twine
All plant fibers are made up of cellulose.
Natural Fibers—Mineral
Fiberglass—fiber form of glass that is
weak and brittle; used as insulation
Asbestos—very durable fibers used for
pipe coverings, brake linings, ceiling
tiles, and other uses
Synthetic Fibers—Regenerated Fibers
Cellulose is combined with
chemicals such as acetate
Rayon—imitates natural fibers and
generally is smooth and silky in
appearance
Celanese—cellulose combined with
acetate; used in carpets
Capron—breathable, light weight
material used in high performance
clothing
Synthetic Fibers—Synthetic Polymer Fibers
Polyester—common synthetic fiber; represents a
large group of fibers with a common chemical
makeup
Nylon—similar to polyester, but easily broken
down by light and concentrated acid
Synthetic Fibers—Synthetic Polymer Fibers (cont.)
Acrylic—found in artificial wool or imitation fur;
has a light, fluffy feel
Olefins—used in high performance clothing such
as thermal socks and carpets because they are
quick drying and resist wear
Microscopic Comparison of Natural and Synthetic
Fibers
Yarns
Fibers too short in their raw state to make textiles
can be spun together to make yarn
Any given yarn will have a direction of twist which
can help with identification
Textiles
Fibers are woven into textiles (fabrics)
Weaving consists of arranging lengthwise threads
(the warp) side by side and close together
Crosswise threads (the weft) are then woven back
and forth in one of several different patterns
Weave Patterns
Plain: alternating warp and weft
threads; firm and wears well,
snag resistant, tends to wrinkle
Basket: alternating pattern of
two weft crossing two warp
threads; doesn’t wrinkle, not
durable, shrinks when washed
Satin: one weft crosses over
three or more warp threads; not
durable, snags, shiny surface,
high light reflectance
Weave Patterns (cont.)
Twill: weft is woven over three or more
warps and then under one; next row, the
pattern is shifted over one to the left or
right by one warp thread; strong, dense,
compact, diagonal design
Leno: uses two warp threads and a
double weft thread; the two adjacent
warp threads cross over each other; the
weft travels left to right and is woven
between the two warp threads; easily
distorted with wear and washing,
stretches in one direction only