NCJ Number
229069
Journal
Journal of Forensic Identification Volume: 59 Issue: 6 Dated: November/December 2009 Pages: 626-636
Date Published
December 2009
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This study compared five casting products to determine the best-performance casting material for making detailed three-dimensional impressions.
Abstract
Results indicate that all of the tested casting materials, with the exception of dental stone proved to be effective methods for casting detailed three-dimensional impressions. Four of the casting materials, Mikrosil, AccuTrans, ReproRubber "Thin Pour," and ReproRubber "Medium Body," all outperformed dental stone. This research impacts the forensic science community because it involves materials that are currently being used by forensic investigators. The forensic investigation team will gain knowledge pertaining to which materials to use or avoid when encountering detailed three-dimensional impression evidence. The scope of this research was limited; for example, environmental conditions were not taken into consideration, because impressions were formed in laboratory conditions. Other factors, such as hardening time, vertical surface compatibility, and dimensional stability over long periods of time were not considered in this research. A future study of casting materials could focus on other areas that were not considered for this research. Tables, references, and figures