NCJ Number
12753
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 19 Issue: 1 Dated: (JANUARY 1974) Pages: 113-120
Date Published
1974
Length
8 pages
Annotation
REFINEMENTS OF THE PYROLYSIS-GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY (PGC) PROCEDURE WHICH ARE NECESSARY TO FACILITATE INDIVIDUALIZATION BASED ON ORGANIC COMPOSITION.
Abstract
AT THE PRESENT TIME IT APPEARS THAT A HIGHLY REFINED PGC PROCEDURE OFFERS THE BEST POTENTIAL APPROACH FOR THE PROBLEM OF INDIVIDUALIZING MACROMOLECULAR MATERIALS FOR FORENSIC INVESTIGATIONS. ON THE BASIS OF PREVIOUS WORK IT IS POSSIBLE TO SPECIFY THE MINIMUM EQUIPMENT THAT WILL PROBABLY BE NECESSARY FOR ACCOMPLISHING THIS. THE EQUIPMENT WOULD INCLUDE A CRYOGENICALLY PROGRAMMABLE GAS CHROMATOGRAPH AND FLAME IONIZATION DETECTION, COUPLED WITH STABLE, HIGHLY SENSITIVE ELECTROMETERS. CAPILLARY COLUMNS, MODIFIED TO ALLOW SAMPLING OF LARGE VOLUMES OF DILUTE PYROLYZATES, WILL BE NECESSARY TO ADEQUATELY RESOLVE THE LARGE NUMBER OF RESULTING PYROLYSIS PRODUCTS. FOR VISULA COMPARISON OF CURVES A LOGARITHMIC DISPLAY OF SEVERAL DECADES OF SIGNAL WOULD BE USEFUL. AT THE RESEARCH STAGE OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF PGC METHOD FOR THIS INDIVIDUALIZATION PROBLEM AN ELECTRONIC DATA SYSTEM WITH APPROPRIATE SOFTWARE FOR USE IN COMPARING CURVES WOULD BE ESPECIALLY HELPFUL. A SOPHISTICATED PGC SYSTEM COULD BE APPLIED TO THE INDIVIDUALIZATION OF MANY TYPES OF MACROMOLECULAR EVIDENTIAL MATERIALS AND, IN ADDITION, COULD BE USED FOR THE IDENTIFICATION OF PLASTICS, FIBERS, PAINT VEHICLES, AND NUMEROUS OTHER SIMILAR MATERIALS OF FORENSIC IMPORTANCE. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)