Fragmentation Voltage
Gas-phase fragmentation requires a specific acceleration voltage to break down peptide molecules into diagnostic fragments during mass spectrometry. When testing cashmere and sheep wool blends, the chosen collision energy determines how effectively the characteristic marker peptides are split. This voltage is applied in a gas-filled chamber to cause collisions with inert gas atoms.
Ion Breakdown
Insufficient voltage leaves the precursor peptide intact, making it impossible to identify the species-specific amino acid sequences. Conversely, excessive collision energy shatters the peptide into tiny, non-specific fragments that cannot be assigned to any animal source. The instrument operator must adjust this parameter to yield a balanced distribution of diagnostic daughter ions.
This optimization is crucial for distinguishing between high-value camelid fibers and sheep wool.
Analytical Calibration
Testing labs establish standard operation guidelines that define the exact voltage required for each peptide mass. Since collision energy scales with the mass-to-charge ratio of the target peptide, the analyzer must run automated calibration routines. These routines guarantee that different testing machines produce comparable results.
Process Verification
Fabric inspectors rely on these optimized fragmentation profiles to audit mill declarations on fiber content. If the collision energy is not kept uniform across all test runs, the resulting spectral data will vary, which can lead to false claims of yarn adulteration. Accurate settings enable high-precision quality control of incoming textile goods.
