Semester

Spring

Date of Graduation

2013

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

MS

College

Eberly College of Arts and Sciences

Department

Forensic and Investigative Science

Committee Chair

Keith Morris

Committee Co-Chair

Suzanne Bell

Committee Member

Patrick Buzzini

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare the differentiation of cotton fibers by the means of intra-garment and inter-garment comparison while utilizing Microspectrophotometry. Five different colors of cotton fibers were used: gold, kelly green, orange, red and royal. Ten t-shirts of each color were used in this study. Phase I of this study involved using the CRAICRTM QDI QDS II(TM) Stereomicrospectrophotometer to produce a spectrum of the front, back, sleeve and armpit of the t-shirt. These sections were then compared to the color chips in the Munsell Book of Color by observing them with the naked eye. Phase II of this study involved varying the boxcar width, the average scans and the integration time to find the optimal settings that should be used when collecting spectra on the CRAIC RTM QDI 1000 Microspectrophotometer. A time trial was completed during Part 1 and Part 2 of Phase III to determine the proper time the instrument's lamp should be allowed to warm-up prior to collecting spectra of samples. Phase IV of this study involved preparing 200 slides of fibers from the front, back, armpit and sleeve of each color repeated for all ten t-shirts to allow for the intra-garment comparison. Phase V used the front section of each t-shirt and a fiber from that section was cut into three different sections providing 150 slides to demonstration the inter-garment comparison. To conclude the study, the five colors used in this study were compared to each other to determine if they could be differentiated.

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