This document specifies a qualitative and quantitative procedure to determine the composition of animal hair fibre blends by MALDI-TOF MS.

The composition of non-animal hair fibres can be measured by methods described in the ISO 1833 series. Both results are then combined to determine the whole composition of fibres.

The method is based on a preliminary identification, by light microscopy, of all fibres in a blend on the basis of their morphology, according to ISO/TR 11827. In case fibres of the same animal species are present (e.g. blends of cashmere and mohair), the method is not applicable and the quantitative analysis can be performed using microscopical analysis (e.g. as described in ISO 17751 series).