Burn Test (Brennprobe)
Also known as: Burn test, flame test for fibres, burn identification
Quick test for fibre identification in which a small yarn sample is ignited at a flame (lighter, Bunsen burner, burn tester) and the burning behaviour, smell and residue are analysed.
Description
The burn test (officially Brennprobe) is the classic preliminary test for fibre identification in incoming goods inspection and textile labs. A single yarn or a small fabric sample is held with tweezers in a calm flame — lighter, Bunsen burner or laboratory burn tester. Flame appearance, smoke, odour of combustion gases and the residue are evaluated.
Natural fibres such as cotton or wool burn quickly with a characteristic smell (burnt paper for cellulose, burnt horn for protein) and leave a light ash. Polyester and polyamide melt into hard, glossy beads and smell sweetish or horn-like. The burn test does not replace precise fibre analysis by microscopy or FTIR, but is extremely helpful in daily sampling and complaint handling.
- Cotton/viscose: quick flame, paper smell, soft grey ash
- Wool/silk: slow flame, burnt-horn smell, brittle black bead
- Polyester: melts, drips, sweetish smell, hard bead
- Polyamide: blue-yellow flame, horn smell, glassy bead
Properties
| Purpose | Fibre identification, incoming goods pre-check |
|---|---|
| Tool | Lighter, Bunsen burner, burn tester |
| Assessment | Flame, smoke, smell, residue |
| Limitation | Preliminary test only — blends hard to identify |
Related product categories
Sources & references
1- Wikipedia: Brennprobe (DE) Wikipedia — Freie Enzyklopädie https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brennprobe
