title: Visualization of latent fingermark corrosion of brass, climatic influence in a comparison between the U.K. and Iraq.
abstract: Through a comparison of fingermark sweat corrosion of α phase brass in both the U.K. and Iraq, we show how samples from Iraq have improved fingermark corrosion over U.K. samples that require no additional enhancement prior to visualization. Over 50% of Iraqi samples produced fingermark corrosion with full ridge detail compared with 0% from the U.K. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis of the fingermark corrosion products showed that Iraqi samples exhibit more dezincification with the Zn:Cu ratio averaging 1:1.82 compared with 1:3.07 for U.K. samples. Auger spectroscopy showed the presence of both zinc oxide and copper (I) oxide. No copper (II) was observed on the surface of the corroded brass. Opportunities to exploit the optical properties of these thin film oxides to enhance the visualization of fingermark corrosion are considered, and the potential to use fingermark corrosion of metal as a means of visualizing fingerprints in war zones is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Scientific Support Unit, Northamptonshire Police, Wootton Hall, Northampton NN4 0JQ, UK. john.bond@northants.police.uk
authors.forename: John W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Bond
authors.forename: Louis N
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Eliopulos
authors.forename: Thomas F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Brady
mesh_terms: D002980:Climate; D003300:Copper; D003343:Corrosion; D003878:Dermatoglyphics; D006801:Humans; D007493:Iraq; D010087:Oxides; D056951:Photoelectron Spectroscopy; D013542:Sweat; D006113:United Kingdom; D015032:Zinc; D015034:Zinc Oxide
chemical_list: D010087:Oxides; C048399:brass; D003300:Copper; D015032:Zinc; D015034:Zinc Oxide