How to test fabric for fiber content using the burn test

Cut a 1"x1" piece of fabric, use a butam lighter and hold the fabric with a pair of tweezers. Ignite the fabric over a non-flammable in a well ventilated area. Examine the flame color, odor,the ash it leaves, and use the following information to determine your fabric content.

Acetate: Acetate is man made fibers from Cellulose, Acetate burns and melts with a flickering flame. It smells like burning wood chips, and it will continue to burn after the flame source is removed. It leaves a hard black ash.

Acrylic: Acrylic is man made fibers made from natural gas and petroleum. It burns and melts rapidly and will continue to burn after the flame source is removed. The smell is acrid and leaves a hard black ash.

Cotton: Cotton is a plant fiber, it burns with a steady orange flame, and smells like burning leaves/papers and leaves a grayish soft ash.

Linen: Linen is plant fiber, it takes longer to ignite than cotton. It has a steady orange flame, smells like burning leaves or paper, It has a grayish soft ash.

Nylon: Nylon is made from petroleum. It burns and melts with a blue base, orange tip flame and no smoke. It smells like burning plastic, and leaves a hard brownish ash.

Polyester: Polyester is a man made fiber, it melts and burns at the same time. It has a orange flame with black smoke and a sweetish smell. It leaves a hard black ash.

Rayon: Rayon is a man made fiber, it burns rapidly with an orange flame and leaves very little ash. It smells like burning leaves or papers.

Silk: is a protien fiber, it burns slowly and it smells like burning hair. The flame will self extinguish if flame source is removed. It leaves black ash and easily turns to powder when crushed. It leaves no smoke.

Wool: is also a protien fiber, it burns with an orange sputtery flame but its harder to ignite than silk. It smells like burning hair, and leaves a black ash and easily turns to powder when crushed. It leaves no smoke.