AATCC 20-2004 Fiber Analysis: Qualitative

AATCC 20-2004 Fiber Analysis: Qualitative. 2. Use and Limitations 2.1 This test method describes a number of procedures—microscopical exami- nation, solubility in solvents, melting point, refractive index, and microFourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy—which should be used in combination to identify a fiber type. For identifying certain fibers some procedures will be found to be more effective than others. 2.2 For example, microscopical examination is particularly useful in characterizing the natural fibers. It must be used with caution on manmade fibers since they are frequently produced in a number of modifications which alter the longitudinal or cross-sectional appearance. In addition, man-made fibers may contain some or no delusterant or other additive particles. Filaments of a given type may vary in size or cross-sectional shape. Individual filaments may have two or more component sections of the same or different generic types. 2.3 Even natural fibers show a fairly wide variation in typical cross-section. No specific specimen will look exactly like the pictures published. A sufficient number of fibers should be examined to cover the range of appearance in any specimen. 2.4 Successful identification of fibers depends upon experience and familiarity with the fibers. The identification of an unknown fiber is best made by compari- son with properly identified fibers used as reference standards. For this reason it is desirable to have available at least one representative fiber sample from each generic class of fibers, which can be used for comparative identification. 2.5 This test method provides means for identifying the generic classification of the common fiber types. In special cases, as when dealing with fibers not described in this method or attempting to distinguish between products of different suppliers of the same generic types, one must consult standard texts on fiber identification or technical bulletins issued by suppliers of man-made fibers. See refer- ences Section 13. 3. Terminology 3.1 For definitions of technical terms, refer to the Glossary of AATCC Standard Terminology in this T ECHNICAL M ANUAL . 4. Safety Precautions NOTE: These safety precautions are for information purposes only. The precautions are ancillary to the testing proce- dures and are not intended to be all inclu- sive. It is the user’s responsibility to use safe and proper techniques in handling materials in this test method. Manufac- turers MUST be consulted for specific details such as material safety data sheets and other manufacturer’s recommenda- tions. All OSHA standards and rules must also...