The Burn Test

Do you have fabric but can't recall it's fibre content?

Well let's burn it and find out...

Safety first, make sure you use tongs over a fire proof surface with a bowl of water beside you just in case.

 Cotton and Linen (vegetable fibres)

- catch fire easily

- burn well, like paper

- easily extinguished

- ash crumbles easily

Wool (protein fibre)

- doesn't light easily

- sometimes goes out if heat source is removed

- smells like burning hair

- ash crumbles easily

Silk (protein fibre)

- lights quicker than wool

- smells like burning hair

- ash crumbles easily

Acetate (cellulose fibre)

- burns well and difficult to blow out

- ash is hard

Rayon (cellulose fibre)

- burns well

- smells woody

- leaves a small amount of ash

Nylon, Acrylic, Polyester (derived from coal,oil,petroleum)

- burn easily

- leaves black bead of residue / hard ash

- Nylon smells like burning plastic

- Polyester smells sweeter