Citation

Mehltretter AH, Bradley MJ, Wright DM. J. Forensic Sci. 2011; 56(6): 1493-1504.

Affiliation

Laboratory Division, Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2501 Investigation Parkway, Quantico, VA 22135.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, American Society for Testing and Materials, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/j.1556-4029.2011.01873.x

PMID

21883209

Abstract

  The backings of 90 black electrical tapes were analyzed to evaluate the chemical components of these films, the ability of individual techniques to discriminate samples, and the ability of the techniques combined to distinguish samples. The techniques utilized and their respective discrimination results were stereomicroscopy and physical measurements, to include observation of surface features of the backing, width, and thickness measurements (c. 64%); Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) using a microscope accessory (c. 83%); pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS; c. 81%); and scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS; c. 87%). Ninety-four percent of the backings were discriminated through this combination of analytical methods. Finally, evaluating these results in conjunction with previously published data on the analysis of the adhesives from the same set of electrical tapes provided an overall discrimination of nearly 96%.

Language: en