Textile and Fiber Damage

Abstract

All kinds of textile damage that arise in the course of their use are detrimental because they reduce their usefulness and esthetic value. However, for the forensic sciences, the value of a trace in the form of a damaged textile product or of a fiber that is a component of such a product is great, because the sometimes observable characteristic physical and chemical features reflect the conditions in which the product has been. Forensic experts deal first and foremost with mechanical damage to textiles, especially cutting by sharp-edged objects; they also study damage connected with normal use of textiles (environmental, laundering effects) and damage connected with the influence of high temperature (and pressure) and of microorganisms (bacteria, fungi). The assessment of textile and fiber damage is a complex, multifaceted, and challenging issue. The expert examining such kinds of damage must possess much additional information linked not only with the properties of the textile or the fiber, but also with the type and properties of the factors that caused this damage. Often, it is worth carrying out an appropriate simulation experiment, in spite of the fact that a number of variables of damage processes may not be known or cannot be replicated in laboratory conditions at a given time.