The use of sulfur nitrides as fingerprint developers

Paul F. Kelly; Roberto S. P. King; Bansi Shah; Roger J. Mortimer

doi:10.1117/12.833980

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17 September 2009 The use of sulfur nitrides as fingerprint developers

Paul F. Kelly, Roberto S. P. King, Bansi Shah, Roger J. Mortimer

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Proceedings Volume 7486, Optics and Photonics for Counterterrorism and Crime Fighting V; 748602 (2009) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.833980
Event: SPIE Security + Defence, 2009, Berlin, Germany

Abstract

Polymerization of the volatile sulfur nitride S₂N₂ can be brought about by interaction with latent fingerprint residues, with the resulting dark blue black polymer (SN)x visually developing the prints on a large range of media. Consideration of the technical and safety requirements of the technique allows an effective apparatus to be built and utilized with minimal risk. Observations on the diversity of media involved highlights the power of the technique, though results also indicate that no simple mechanism can account for all aspects of the interactions between the nitride, the prints and the media surfaces. This is especially apparent when prints on paper or plastic can still be imaged after washing with either water or organic solvents; likewise prints on aluminium foil can be imaged even after being heated to 500°C overnight.

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Paul F. Kelly, Roberto S. P. King, Bansi Shah, and Roger J. Mortimer "The use of sulfur nitrides as fingerprint developers", Proc. SPIE 7486, Optics and Photonics for Counterterrorism and Crime Fighting V, 748602 (17 September 2009); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.833980

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