*5.4.1 Raman imaging and Spectrum of unwashed sample*

In **Figure 17** the scanning position of image A illustrates the PCM in the web and on the fibre, and image B shows the dept. profiling of the Raman image which displays 4 different wavelengths in the spectrum represented by colours: red, dark blue, green, and light blue.

**Figure 18** illustrates the peaks of the Raman spectrum, these shifting peaks can be identified as the chemical bond lengths of the n-alkanes paraffins, namely tetradecane, hexadecane and octadecane, which form the core of the microencapsulated PCM, and the fourth shifting peak observed could be the polymeric shell microcapsule which is an acrylic resin.

#### **Figure 16.** *Damaged mPCM around fibre of sample at wash temperature 60°C.*

*The Effect of Laundering on the Physical and Thermal Properties of Phase Change Textile… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.105064*

#### **Figure 17.**

*Raman scan position of unwashed sample (left: Image a); Raman scan depth of unwashed sample (right: Image B).*

**Figure 18.** *Raman spectrum of unwashed sample.*

The width of the shifting peaks on the graph illustrates a high degree of crystallinity, which is important, because most physical and mechanical properties of PCMs are affected by the degree of crystallinity. The crystallinity distribution in the sample can be found from the band shift area and the orientation of the polymers in the spectrum can be seen.


**Figure 19.**

*Raman scan position of washed sample at 30°C (left: Image a); Raman scan depth of washed sample at 30°C (right: Image B).*
