CONFOCAL LASER RAMAN MICROPROBE STUDIES OF KERATIN FIBERS

A laser-based Raman microprobe/confocal microscope has been used to pr ovide structural information on the constituent proteins in several ke ratins including wool, human hair, and feathers. Depth-profiling studi es have revealed differences between the outer (cuticle) and inner (co rtex) regions of human hair fibers with respect to the molecular orien tation and chemical composition of the constituent proteins. Raman mic roprobe measurements are applied to the identification and distributio n analysis of textile auxiliaries on wool fibers. The advantages and u tility of the Raman microprobe technique for investigating single text ile fibers are also discussed.