Identification Of Forensic Fabrics Using A Portable Raman Spectrometer

By Dawn Yang, B&W Tek, Inc.

In recent years, Raman spectroscopy has been studied extensively for forensic fiber analysis because of the high selectivity of Raman signatures, non-destructive nature of the test, and the ability to conduct analysis without any sample preparation. The Raman test can be performed directly on fabrics or fibers mounted on glass slides with very little interference from the mounting resin or the glass. This study describes how six types of undyed fabric samples were tested using a 1064 nm laser and a fiber optic probe holder, demonstrating Raman spectroscopy’s practicality and unique discrimination power.