Fibers are commonly found with burglary, assault, breaking and entering, and hit and run accidents. Fibers can come from clothes, carpet, curtains, wigs and furniture.
Natural Fibers Produced entirely from plants or animals Animal Fibers- Sheep-wool Goats-mohair and cashmere Camels Llamas Rabbit Mink Plant Fibers- Cotton
Man-Made Fibers Regenerated Fibers- produced using natural raw materials (ex. Rayon made from cellulose) Synthetic Fibers- produced using synthetic chemicals (ex. Nylon made from petroleum and polyester made from thermoplastic polymer resin)
Identification Using Fibers “Fit together” like puzzle pieces when fabric is torn- conclusive evidence. Microscopic comparison- color, diameter, striations Color comparison of specific dyes used with micro- spectrophotometer or chromatography. Chemical composition-make sure fibers are from the same generic class and subclass with infrared spectrophotometry.