A Novel Solvent-based Method to Separate Duct Tape from Porous Surface for Fingerprint Development |
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Authors: | Tony T.F. Tan Ph.D. Pecky P.K. Law M.Phil. Stephen W.K. Kwok B.Sc. Wilson W.L. Yeung B.Sc. Wai-Chuen Ho Wai-Keung Chung Bing-Chiu Au |
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Affiliation: | 1. Hong Kong Police Force, Identification Bureau, Advanced Technology Section, 10-11/F, Arsenal House Wing West, Police Headquarters, Wan Chai, Hong Kong;2. Hong Kong Police Force, Identification Bureau, Computer Assisted Fingerprint Identification System Section, 10-11/F, Arsenal House Wing West, Police Headquarters, Wan Chai, Hong Kong;3. Hong Kong Police Force, Identification Bureau, Scenes of Crime Section, 10-11/F, Arsenal House Wing West, Police Headquarters, Wan Chai, Hong Kong |
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Abstract: | In this study, we have proposed a novel solvent-based method using a specific concentration of 3M™ Novec™ HFE-72DE and 7200 solvents to untangle duct tape from porous article with minimal impact to the quality of latent fingerprint deposited on the sticky-side surface of duct tape. A series of experiments determined that a mixture of 30% HFE-72DE:7200 (v/v) was found to be the most effective to separate various brands of duct tape from different types of porous surface, including office copy paper, newspaper, cardboard, and tissue wipe, which had been stored for up to 30 days before untangling. Further studies also revealed that 30% HFE-72DE:7200 was compatible with three common fingerprint development methods for porous articles, namely ninhydrin, indanedione-zinc, and physical developer. The nonflammability and low toxicity nature of this novel solvent mixture also make it ideal for separating duct tape from porous surface in laboratory or at crime scene. |
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Keywords: | forensic science latent fingerprint duct tape adhesive surface porous surface tape separation black powder suspension |
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