Cotton and polyester are two of the most popular fabrics for creating garments. Polyester is a synthetic material produced from petrochemical products, and cotton is a natural and sustainable fiber harvested from cottonseeds. Of these textile materials, polyester is the best choice of for water-resistant, durable apparel, while cotton is better suited for breathable, cool summer clothing.

Textile products must be labeled according to their fiber composition. The procedures for the determination of fiber composition include mechanical, chemical, and microscopic methods—all of which are time consuming. In contrast, near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a fast and chemical-free alternative. This Application Note shows how NIR spectroscopy can be used to determine the cotton content in textile products within 30 seconds.

The 10 measured NIR spectra (Figure 2) were used to create a quantification prediction model for the percentage of cotton in different blends of natural and synthetic textiles. The quality of the prediction model was evaluated using a correlation diagram which displays a very high correlation between the NIR prediction and the reference values. The respective figures of merit (FOM) display the expected precision and confirm the feasibility during routine analysis (Figure 3).

This Application Note demonstrates the feasibility to determine the cotton percentage in textile blends quickly and easily. NIR spectroscopy offers users a fast, cost-effective, and highly accurate alternative to other standard testing methods when identifying textiles. Additionally, NIRS analysis is non-destructive, completely reagent-free, and gives results in only 30 seconds.