The identification of textile fabrics mainly refers to the identification of the composition of textile fabrics, the recognition of the front and back, warp and weft directions of textile fabrics, and the recognition of the appearance quality of textile fabrics. The identification method is different from the production department, which analyzes and identifies textile fabrics from an application perspective. The method is simple and easy to implement, and most of them only perform qualitative analysis.
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Identification of textile fabric components
There are many types of textile fabrics, and how to correctly identify and distinguish them, understand and master their composition and characteristics, is of great significance for the selection and application of textile fabrics.
There are currently many methods available for identifying the composition of textile fabrics, and the selection of various methods is based on the properties of textile fibers, as the most primitive material that constitutes textile fabrics is textile fibers. For pure spun fabrics, they are generally easier to distinguish; However, for blended and interwoven fabrics, it is much more complex as they often cannot be identified using a single method and often require the use of two or more methods simultaneously. So, in order to achieve the goal of correctly identifying various fabrics, it is necessary to master the properties of various fibers and various identification methods and essentials.
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At present, the methods commonly used for identifying textile fibers include sensory identification, combustion identification, density gradient method, microscopic observation method, dissolution method, reagent coloring method, and melting point method. In practical measurements, several different methods are often needed for observation and testing in order to ultimately arrive at the correct conclusion.
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Sensory identification method
Sensory identification method, also known as tactile and visual measurement method, refers to the use of human sensory organs, such as eyes, hands, ears, and noses, to visually judge fabrics, determine their elasticity, softness, and wrinkling, and then observe the luster, length, thickness, and bending degree of fibers to preliminarily determine the type of fiber.
To identify fabrics using sensory identification methods, testers must be proficient in mastering the appearance characteristics and performance of various fabrics, as well as the sensory characteristics of various fibers, in order to make accurate judgments on the composition of fabrics.
Due to the fact that sensory identification mainly relies on the experience of the discriminator to identify fabrics, it is difficult for beginners to master. Moreover, sensory identification methods cannot distinguish specific varieties of chemical fibers, thus limiting their accuracy. So sensory identification is only a rough method for identifying fiber types in practical applications, and should be combined with other identification methods.
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The basis of sensory identification method
Sensory identification method is mainly based on the appearance, luster, length, thickness, curvature, softness, elasticity, strength and other performance characteristics of fibers for identification, because the above characteristics of fiber raw materials determine the basic features of the fabrics composed of them. From textile fibers to yarns, and then to fabrics, a series of textile dyeing and finishing processes endow fabrics with certain organizational structures, appearance styles, and intrinsic properties, thus determining the final sensory characteristics of fabrics.
Therefore, the basis of sensory identification method is the sensory characteristics of various textile fibers, the characteristics of yarns, the style characteristics of fabrics, and the special properties endowed to fabrics by post-processing.
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The main methods and steps of sensory identification method
(1) Eyesight: Eyesight is the use of visual effects to observe the brightness, dyeing, surface roughness, as well as the appearance characteristics of tissue, patterns, and fibers of a fabric.
(2) Hand touch: Hand touch is the use of the tactile effect of the hand to feel the softness, smoothness, roughness, cleanliness, elasticity, warmth, and coldness of the fabric. You can also feel the strength and elasticity of the fibers and yarns in the fabric with your hands.
(3) Ear and nose: Hearing and smell can be helpful in determining the raw materials of certain fabrics. Silk has a unique silk like sound; The tearing sound of different fiber fabrics varies; There are differences in the odor between acrylic and wool fiber fabrics.
The sensory identification method generally consists of four steps.
Step 1: Preliminarily distinguish the major categories to which fibers or fabrics belong. Based on the sensory characteristics of various fibers or fabrics, and relying on visual and tactile senses, preliminarily determine the major categories of fibers or fabrics: cotton type, linen type, wool type, silk type; Determine whether it is a natural fiber or a chemical fiber, whether it is a long filament fabric or a short fiber fabric.
Step 2: Further determine the type of raw material based on the sensory characteristics of the fibers in the fabric. Extract some yarns from the fabric. If it is a woven fabric, samples should be taken and analyzed separately in the warp and weft directions. If it is a knitted fabric and several yarns are alternately or combined, samples should also be taken and analyzed separately. Decompose the yarn into fiber states and analyze and determine which type of fiber it belongs to based on the sensory characteristics of textile fibers.
If the tested fabric is preliminarily judged as a wool type fabric in the first step, and the fibers of its entire yarn conform to the characteristics of wool, it can basically be judged as a wool fiber fabric. If the fiber length is equivalent to wool, but the length and curl are neat and uniform, and the hand feel lacks softness, it may be a chemical fiber imitation wool fabric. For example, if the first step is to preliminarily determine that the tested fabric is a natural fiber fabric, then compare the length, shape, softness, luster, elasticity, and other sensory characteristics of the fibers in the fabric with those of natural fibers to make a judgment result. If the tested fabric is identified as a filament fabric in the first step, it may be silk, viscose fiber filament, or synthetic fiber filament. At this point, you can wet a certain part of the fiber with your tongue and stretch it. If the strength of the fiber is high and there is no difference in dry and wet states, it is not easy to break and belongs to synthetic fiber filament; Polyester filament, nylon filament or polypropylene filament; If the strength is low and the decrease in strength is significant when wet, and the wet area is easily pulled apart, it belongs to adhesive fiber filament; If the strength is average, slightly decreases when wet, and does not necessarily break in the wet area, and the filament has a soft luster and a soft and elastic feel, then it is silk.
Step 3: Make a final judgment based on the sensory characteristics of the fabric. Based on the above judgment, a comprehensive analysis of the appearance and tactile characteristics of the fabric is conducted, and then compared with the sensory characteristics of various fabrics to identify the sensory differences between this fabric and other similar or easily confused fabrics, and finally determine its raw material composition.
Step 4: Verify the judgment result. If you are not confident in your judgment, other methods can be used to verify it. If the judgment is incorrect, sensory identification can be performed again or combined with other methods for identification.
With the development of chemical fiber and textile dyeing and finishing industries, the appearance and feel of many chemical fiber fabrics are becoming closer and closer to natural fiber fabrics. It is difficult to make accurate judgments using sensory identification methods alone, so other methods should be chosen for identification.