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Identification of cellulosic fibres by FTIR spectroscopy: differentiation of flax and hemp by polarized ATR FTIR

Identification of cellulosic fibres by FTIR spectroscopy: differentiation of flax and hemp by polarized ATR FTIR
Identification of cellulosic fibres by FTIR spectroscopy: differentiation of flax and hemp by polarized ATR FTIR
The ability to accurately identify fibres is of importance to conservators, but this can prove problematic when dealing with fibres which possess similar chemistry and microstructure - the bast fibres flax and hemp are particularly challenging in this regard. Conventional techniques such as microscopic examination, the measurement of fibre widths and the use of the twist test, will often prove unreliable, especially when dealing with degraded materials. This research has concentrated on the development of an attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopic technique employing polarized radiation to differentiate these two fibre types on the basis of the characteristic nature of the winding of their secondary cell walls: while the angle of fibrillar wind is roughly the same for both fibres (~7º), the senses of wind are opposite - S (anti-clockwise) in the case of flax; Z (clockwise) for hemp. A crystallinity index, derived from the spectra, was found to vary in a systematic manner as the fibres were rotated with respect to the electric vector of the incident radiation. A good correlation between this variation and theoretical models was observed. It was found that the characteristic sense and angle of wind of the fibres could be determined, and thus hemp and flax distinguished.
flax, hemp, polarized infared spectroscopy, fibre
0039-3630
205-211
Garside, Paul
58b3f896-8e10-4516-af7d-2aa7c106c517
Wyeth, Paul
1ec102cc-ce1c-4b58-81dd-a8a33b559081
Garside, Paul
58b3f896-8e10-4516-af7d-2aa7c106c517
Wyeth, Paul
1ec102cc-ce1c-4b58-81dd-a8a33b559081

Garside, Paul and Wyeth, Paul (2006) Identification of cellulosic fibres by FTIR spectroscopy: differentiation of flax and hemp by polarized ATR FTIR. Studies in Conservation, 51 (3), 205-211.

Record type: Article

Abstract

The ability to accurately identify fibres is of importance to conservators, but this can prove problematic when dealing with fibres which possess similar chemistry and microstructure - the bast fibres flax and hemp are particularly challenging in this regard. Conventional techniques such as microscopic examination, the measurement of fibre widths and the use of the twist test, will often prove unreliable, especially when dealing with degraded materials. This research has concentrated on the development of an attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopic technique employing polarized radiation to differentiate these two fibre types on the basis of the characteristic nature of the winding of their secondary cell walls: while the angle of fibrillar wind is roughly the same for both fibres (~7º), the senses of wind are opposite - S (anti-clockwise) in the case of flax; Z (clockwise) for hemp. A crystallinity index, derived from the spectra, was found to vary in a systematic manner as the fibres were rotated with respect to the electric vector of the incident radiation. A good correlation between this variation and theoretical models was observed. It was found that the characteristic sense and angle of wind of the fibres could be determined, and thus hemp and flax distinguished.

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More information

Published date: 2006
Keywords: flax, hemp, polarized infared spectroscopy, fibre

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 44064
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/44064
ISSN: 0039-3630
PURE UUID: 71624286-09b9-4755-965f-65e773416519

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Date deposited: 12 Feb 2007
Last modified: 08 Jan 2022 01:08

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Contributors

Author: Paul Garside
Author: Paul Wyeth

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