Textile engineering (TE) or textile technology deals with the application of scientific and engineering principles to the design and control of all aspects of fiber, textile, and apparel processes, products, and machinery Forensic textile science is a relatively young discipline; fibre identification is the most established component of this discipline. Textile products of interest to the forensic scientist include individual fibres, yarns, , apparel household textiles and furnishings and are hierarchical structures; fibres are used to manufacture yarns which are used to manufacture fabrics which are in turn used to manufacture products such as apparel, curtains, sheets, etc. Such products are often potential evidence in criminal investigations; typically supporting in nature. Of particular interest is damage caused to apparel during an alleged incident, fibre identification with respect to trace evidence and how blood interacts with fabrics. The correct and full description of a textile product using the appropriate discipline's terminology is critical and therefore this Chapter provides a brief introduction to textile science terminology.

It is a moot point as to whether or not fibre evidence is the same as textile evidence. In a materials sense, fibres are what constitutes fabrics, however their treatment and recovery at a crime scene point to a distinction in how they are regarded evidentially. Fibres are categorised in forensic science as trace evidence and can be found at all types of crime scenes. Trace evidence encompasses an incredibly broad range of potential evidence types, such as paint, glass, hair, soil and pollen, but forensic investigations continue to focus on fibres and fabrics due to the plethora of information they provide and the transferability of them through physical contact. The abundance of textiles products used in everyday life makes it no surprise that fabrics are commonly present in crime scenes including clandestine burials. The role of textile products can vary from garments worn by a victim to the item that the victim is disposed of in (carpets, bags, shower curtains, etc.). In addition, fabrics can be resistant to selected environments and therefore can be retained at crime scenes over relatively long periods of time, unless physically moved by wind or rain. For example, cotton is resistant to alkaline environments (i.e. soil that normally have pH values ranging from 3 to 9) and therefore degradation is very gradual, allowing for their preservation and presence in burials (Prangnell and McGowan, 2009).

The successful exploitation of textiles in forensic cases relies on the capabilities of investigators to trace textiles and fibres to their original source, with the collection and recovery of textiles from a scene being dependent upon the requirements of an individual case (i.e. in a volume crime examination, the arrest of a suspect providing garments for comparison may result in the seizure of fibre evidence being a priority for the attending CSI). The examination of textiles is particularly important in cases that involve physical contact, such as assault, rape, homicide, burglary and hit-and-runs where there is usually an unintentional transmission of microscopic evidence. These types of crimes frequently result in the personal contact with another individual or object. The examination of damage (trauma, tears, rips, cuts, fibre disturbance, etc.) sustained to textile products and the transfer of fibres can allow for the recreation of the circumstances surrounding the crime and allow investigators to retrace the events that have transpired. For example, in the case of Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton who was convicted of killing her daughter in 1982 was acquitted in 1988 after forensic textile experts were able to prove that the damage to her daughter's jacket could have been caused by a dingo supporting her original testimony.

There are a series of protocols that are fundamental to preventing contamination and ensuring preservation of textile evidence collected at a crime scene. One problem faced in forensic textile science is the handling of textiles from scenes, which is often varied dependent on the investigators view of the essentialness of the textile. The importance a textile may have in an investigation is not always obvious during the initial stages and therefore the usefulness and achievable knowledge of textiles can be endangered by the careless methods for handling them (Grieve and Robertson, 1999). In addition, because forensic textile science is an advancing field the type of information gathered from textiles and the methods to do so is continuously developing. Therefore, textiles must be stored in a way that allows for the sustainability of the textile products and the evidence that they contain. All evidence collected should be photographed, recorded and placed in an appropriate sealable container to retain the continuity of the exhibit.7 The containers should contain the CSI's initials, date and the allocated exhibit number. It is the fundamental concept of the investigation that all items collected during the processing of a crime scene should be recovered and examined with the intention that they will be presented as physical evidence in a courtroom. With regard to whole garments, frequently the fabric attributes of the item are more robust than fragile DNA evidence that might be associated with the item. In such instances, the requirements of DNA protection are dominant in collection and packaging strategies, with items being collected by a CSI wearing appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) (usually a minimum of a face mask and gloves).

While some fibres will be obvious at the scene, some can be imperceptible and thus may only become apparent upon examination at the laboratory. A nondestructive technique using high intensity light sources is used by the CSI to detect these (Beaufort-Moore, 2009). This technique causes some fibres to fluoresce, allowing their presence to become more apparent. Fibres and textiles collected at a scene should be photographed in situ before being recovered (Robertson and Roux, 1999), although this is problematic where areas are being speculatively taped for the possibility of fibre transfer, but no visible traces are present that might be captured in a photograph. There are two types of methods commonly used by forensic investigators for the recovery of fibres and textiles from a crime scene: tape lifts and forceps. When utilising either technique there are two essential concepts investigators must maintain.

Regarding the industry's demands, today's information technology has widened the base of education in such a way that interdisciplinary education has become a critical necessity. This means that highly specific education programs are likely to give way to more interdisciplinary education programs and joint degrees. A textile engineering program in chemical processing may be attractive to some students who have made up their minds to work in the wet-processing segment of the textile industry, but it will not be as attractive for students who wish to become chemical engineers with ample opportunities to work in a wider range of industries. Similarly, a textile engineering program in product engineering, despite its absolute necessity in the textile industry, will not attract students who wish to become material or mechanical engineers with much wider career opportunities. These critical issues need to be addressed in the schools of textiles around the world; a discussion that may very well result in changing undergraduate textile engineering programs to joint programs with other engineering disciplines.

Another line of thought regarding textile engineering education is toward moving to graduate degrees such as master or PhD degrees in textile engineering and restricting undergraduate degrees to textile technology. This change needs to be made in timely fashion before it becomes inevitable. This can indeed result in a wider attraction to students who graduated from different traditional engineering programs such as chemical, mechanical, or electrical engineering. It will also satisfy the current and future trends in the textile industry in terms of many new directions such as the needs to minimize the industry adverse environmental impacts, the strong trend toward more sustainable products, and the utilization of smart technology and nanotechnology in the make of textile products. These areas require higher levels of education beyond the undergraduate level.

Last Updated on: Nov 27, 2024