Forensic examination of different textile fibres using UV- Vis spectroscopy

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study is to forensically examine different textile fibres using UV/visible spectroscopy. Methodology: Five different fibre types of ten different local brands have been analyzed using uv-vis spectroscopy.Each fibre was dissolved in 3ml of chloroform and were kept overnight for the extraction of dye from the fabric. Then the extracted dye sample was analysed in UV-vis spectroscopy. Results: The results demonstrated that concentration of dye was higher in cotton samples and lower in polyester samples. The mean concentration of dye in cotton samples were (443.0-846.5) nm, polyester (402.0-656.0) nm, jute (484.0-673.5) nm and silk (402.0-661.0) nm respectively. But in wool samples dye did not get extracted. It may be because in wool keratin is present and these materials differ only by the presence of crysteine in wool, which were more intense for wool fibres. Conclusion: There has been a considerable amount of importance of fibre evidence in criminal investigations. Investigating the various dyes utilised to colour textile fibres can provide extra information in the process of determining the chemical compounds of the fibre. In the forensic study of fibres, colour discrimination relies heavily on UV/visible spectroscopy.