Fiber and Textile Terminology

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Amorphous

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Without a defined shape; fibers composed of a loose arrangement of polymers that are soft, elastic, and absorbent (example: cotton)

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Crystalline

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Regularly shaped; fibers composed of polymers packed side by side, which make them stiff and strong (example: flax)

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Direct transfer

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The passing of evidence, such as a fiber, from victim to suspect or vice versa

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Fiber

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The smallest indivisible unit of a textile; must be at least 100 times longer than wide

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Mineral fiber

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A collection of mineral crystals formed into a recognizable pattern

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Monomer

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A small molecule that may bond to other monomers to become a polymer

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Natural fiber

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A fiber produced naturally and harvested from animal, plant and mineral sources

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Polymer

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A substance composed of long chains of repeating units

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Synthetic fiber

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A fiber made from a man-made substance such as plastic

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Secondary transfer

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The transfer of evidence, such as a fiber, from a source (such as a carpet) to a person (suspect) and then to another person (victim)