Use of lycode powders for the examination of documents partially written with erasable ball point pen inks

It was discovered by change that lycode powders adhere to erasable ball point pen ink strokes. A study of this phenomenon was carried out to determine what type of inks reacts physically with lycode powders. A further evaluation was made to learn if this effect continued after the erasable ink became indelible. It was also found that obliterated erasable ball point pen ink can be read by applying lycode powders and that the powders react in a similar way with typewriting from a conventional inked typewriter ribbon. Treatment in this case is completely non-destructive since the lycode powder can be wiped off the paper surface.     

Erasable ink; something old, something new

Writing made with the Frixion ® rollerball pen by Pilot ® can be made colourless using the eraser incorporated in each pen. The heat generated by the friction between eraser and paper decolourises the ink and other sources of heat have a similar effect. The original colour of the ink is restored by cooling it to a temperature below 20 °C.