Identification of Textile Fiber with THz Time-domain Spectroscopy

Terahertz (THz) radiation, which occupies a relatively unexplored portion of the electromagnetic spectrum between the mid-infrared and microwave bands, offers innovative sensing technologies that can provide information unavailable through conventional methods such as microwave and X-ray techniques. THz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS), developed in the past decade, is a spectroscopic technique which measures the electric field of the radiation through a sample and provides the phase and amplitude changes of the radiation. THz-TDS enables us to explore sensing in the THz band. In this work, THz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) was employed to identify fibers in blending fabrics or yams, which can be used in analysis the component of textiles. We have found that there was a characteristic absorption of textile fibers in THz wave band and the difference of fibers were reflected by alterations in THz wave attenuations and THz dielectric properties. Based on THz-TDS technology, wide variety of textile fibers can be measured by THz-TDS approach and a THz spectroscopy data-base of current textile fibers can be constructed in the further studies. Thus, the fibers in blending textile were recognized by compare the spectroscopy of sample with the standard one in the date-base. Thus, textiles and fiber recognition in complex textiles can be realized and this will greatly facilitate the identification of different fibers in complicated textiles.