NCJ Number
214615
Journal
Journal of Forensic Identification Volume: 56 Issue: 3 Dated: May/June 2006 Pages: 364-373
Date Published
May 2006
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This study examined the method of chemical fuming in the development of latent fingerprints on thermal paper.
Abstract
Within practical limitations of time and the chemicals available, only five chemicals were identified to be suitable for developing fingerprints by the method of fuming (acetic acid, acetone, ethanol, methanol, and ethyl acetate). Acetic acid is inexpensive and available everywhere and the operational procedure for acetic acid fuming of fingerprints were relatively easy. Acetic acid fuming is seen as a practical method to develop fingerprints on the thermal surface of thermal paper. Forensic scientists have investigated ways of overcoming difficulties posed by thermal paper. Nine chemicals were tried (acetone, ethyl acetate, acetate acid, ethanol, methanol, iso-propyl alcohol, hydrochloric acid, HFE-7100, and n-hexane), with the effectiveness between chemical fuming and ninhydrin compared. Figures and references