NCJ Number
186088
Journal
International Journal of Forensic Document Examiners Volume: 5 Dated: December/January 1999 Pages: 261-264
Date Published
1999
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This paper describes how to use x-ray diffraction techniques to distinguish counterfeit currency from genuine currency through paper substrate differences.
Abstract
The non-destructive x-ray diffraction technique was used to examine and characterize the crystalline structure of the cellulose component on different currency notes and copier papers used in counterfeiting. The printing of currency is restricted to selective companies around the world where security measures are introduced into the paper and ink, and fixed percentages of various constituents, including cellulose, are monitored; therefore, by measuring the crystalline parameters of the paper by using an x-ray diffractometer, it may be possible to distinguish between the genuine and counterfeit notes, because every type of paper with cellulose content has its own Crystallinity Index, Crystallinity Ratio, and Crystallite Size. In the current study various types of papers used for both genuine and counterfeit currency notes, including colored copy paper and computer paper, were subjected to the instrumental analysis. The findings show that the crystallinity of the cellular molecules varied from good quality paper to ordinary quality paper. Thus, the application of x-ray diffraction offers a non-destructive, sensitive analytical tool for the generation of "fingerprint" spectra representative of different paper products. The spectra of suspicious paper samples may be compared with standard paper spectra to determine whether the cellulose composition is consistent with or different from that expected in genuine currency. 1 table, 7 figures, and 11 references