APPLICATION OF NEAR-INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY FOR DETERMINING LINEN CONTENT IN LINEN/COTTON FABRIC BLENDS.

Fourier transform near-infrared (FT-NIR) spectroscopic method was used to determine linen content in woven linen/cotton blend fabrics. In the textile industry, flax fiber is used as a natural fiber and blended in certain proportions with cotton to enhance the performance and improve the qualities of fabrics. In the US, most of the linen/cotton blend fabrics are imported from other countries. Current analytical methods, microscopy or wet analysis, for determining correct fiber content in the fabrics are very time-consuming, thereby a rapid analytical method is needed. In this study, we used a FT-NIR spectroscopic method and developed a standard calibration model using ground fiber-cotton mixtures with a range of 0-100% fiber contents. The model was applied to the carded blends, yarns, denims, undyed and dyed fabrics to predict fiber contents. Fabrics that have undergone the scouring process have differences in absorption spectra compared to non-scoured fabrics. An independent caliabration model was developed for scoured and dyed fabrics.