How fibres are collected and the process of analysing fibres

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Fibres

How fibres are collected and the process of analysing fibres

For fibre investigation, materials are searched for single fibres transferred in connection to the crime. If any fibres are found to match then there is a strong indication of connection to the crime scene and the investigated material.

There are many processes to go through to ensure that all fibres are either rejected or connected to the crime scene correctly.

The first step in fibre investigation is to collect transferred and other loosely attached fibres tapings. These are clear strips of sticky tape which are applied to any surface, such as car seats, garments, and pulled off to pick up any fibres or debris. The strips are then placed down on clear plastic to be looked at a later stage under a microscope. Tapings are stored in polythene bags to protect against contamination.

The fibres that look like they match those from the crime scene are individually removed and cleaned for a more detailed analysis. There are four phases of detailed analysis: microscopy, microspectrophotometry (MSP), thin layer chromatography (TLC), and infrared spectroscopy (IR) for man-made fibres.

In the first phase, microscopy, the images