The Characterization of Commercial and Historical Textiles Using a Combination of Micro-Chemical, Microscopic and Infrared Spectroscopic Methods

The aim of this study is to identify the textile materials used to make Bulgarian folk costumes and to support the process of conservation and restoration of ethnographic objects. In the 18th and 19th centuries, folk costumes were made almost exclusively of natural materials, while in the first half and middle of the 20th century, they included contemporary synthetic and regenerated cellulose materials, as well as blends of these materials with natural fibers. A series of historical textiles and contemporary industrial fabrics were studied using a variety of analytical approaches, including micro-chemical staining and solubility tests, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), and infrared (IR) spectroscopy. IR measurements were carried out in attenuated total reflectance (ATR) and external reflectance (ER) modes using a portable IR spectrometer, which enabled non-invasive analysis. The analysis revealed that the composition of the industrial fabrics and historical textiles encompassed synthetic fibers, such as polyester and polyamide, while others were made of regenerated cellulose fibers like viscose. Additionally, some textiles had a mixed composition of cotton and polyester or silk and viscose. The combined analytical approach provided reliable identification of both the synthetic and natural textile materials.