Influence Of Solvent, Cellulose Acetate Butyrate in Ninhydrin Solution on The Detection of Latent Fingerprints on Thermal Paper
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: This research studies the influence of solvent, cellulose acetate butyrate in ninhydrin solution on the detection of latent fingerprints on thermal paper. Thermal paper is often used as financial evidence in bank automatic teller machine (ATM) transactions and as receipts from convenience stores. These receipts are considered as forensic evidence that can help detect the fingerprints of suspects. The study found that acetone discolors thermal paper more brown-black than petroleum either. Adding cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB) to both types of ninhydrin solution, it was found that the brown-black color of the thermal paper had decreased. Optimal concentration of CAB in solution of acetone/ninhydrin and petroleum ether/ninhydrin were 1.0 and 0.5 %wt., respectively. It suggested the whiteness index of the thermal paper being 80.78 ± 3.63 % and 61.28 ± 11.89 %, respectively. In addition, the latent fingerprints examined with all types of ninhydrin solution in this research before and after the ageing study at different times showed that the minutiae of latent fingerprints were similar to using the forensic ninhydrin solution. It was found that the minutiae of latent fingerprints showed a value more than 10 points, which could use to verify a person. Moreover, the CAB incorporation indicated that the rate of decline of minutiae of latent fingerprints decreased, especially in the case of 0.5 %wt. CAB/ninhydrin/petroleum ether. The ninhydrin solution in this research is considered an alternative method for detecting latent fingerprints on thermal paper by manually counting minutiae with the naked eye, without using an AFIS machine. In addition, it is inexpensive in chemical composition and easier to prepare.
Institution: Silpakorn University
Language: English
Subfield: Pathology and Forensic Medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W7204170363