A systematic visual aid categorizes textile materials based on their combustion characteristics. This tool usually presents a table or matrix format, outlining predicted burning behaviors such as flame color, odor, residue, and burn rate for various fiber types. For example, the chart might detail how cotton burns with a yellow flame and paper-like smell, leaving a soft, gray ash, in contrast to polyester, which melts, shrinks, and emits a sweetish, chemical odor, forming a hard, plastic bead.
This classification system offers a rapid, cost-effective, and portable method for identifying unknown textiles. Its employment avoids reliance on laboratory analysis in preliminary fabric assessment. Historically, this diagnostic technique provided crucial information in fields ranging from textile manufacturing and garment care to forensic science and archaeological textile analysis. It enabled quick differentiation between natural, synthetic, and blended fibers.
