COMPARISON OF DECOMPOSITION PRODUCTS FROM SELECTED BURNED MATERIALS WITH COMMON ARSON ACCELERANTS

• NCJ Number: 54440
• Journal: Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 22 Issue: 1 Dated: (JANUARY 1977) Pages: 116-118
• Author(s): R W CLODFELTER; E E HUESKE
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 3 pages
• Corporate Author: American Acad of Forensic Sciences
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THIS STUDY EXAMINES WHETHER DECOMPOSITION PRODUCTS FROM SELECTED BURNED MATERIALS (E.G. CARPET SAMPLES) COULD BE CONFUSED WITH GASOLINE, DIESEL FUEL, KEROSENE, OR JET FUEL, ACCELERANTS OFTEN USED IN ARSON.

Abstract

SAMPLES OF NYLON, POLYPROPYLENE OLEFIN, POLYESTER, ACRYLIC, AND MODACRYLIC CARPET, CARPET PADDING, ROOF SHINGLE AND ROOF TAR, AND ASPHALT FLOOR TILE WERE BURNED AND STEAM DISTILLED. STEAM DISTILLATION PRODUCTS AND SAMPLES OF ACCELERANTS, GASOLINE, DIESEL FUEL, KEROSENE, AND JET FUEL, WERE THEN INJECTED INTO A GAS CHROMATOGRAPH. ODOR, SPECIFIC GRAVITY, COLOR, AND FLAMMABILITY OF EACH DISTILLATE WERE DETERMINED. THE CHROMATOGRAMS OBTAINED FROM THE VARIOUS DISTILLATES AND ACCELERANTS WERE COMPARED, AND THE RESULTS OF THE COMPARISON INDICATED THAT THE DISTILLATE CHROMATOGRAMS WERE EASILY DISTINGUISHABLE FROM THE ACCELERANT CHROMATOGRAMS. VARIATIONS IN COLOR, ODOR, AND SPECIFIC GRAVITY OF THE PRODUCTS WERE ALSO NOTED. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED AND TABULAR DATA. (DAG)