Applications of Blue Light-curing Acrylic Resin to Forensic Sample Preparation and Microtomy

• NCJ Number: 249964
• Author(s): E. Groves, C. S. Palenik
• Date Published: March 2016
• Length: 5 pages
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Award: Raman spectroscopy of automotive and architectural pigments: in situ identification and evidentiary significance.

Annotation

This article reports the results of an evaluation of a one-part blue light-curing acrylic resin for embedding trace evidence prior to the preparation of thin sections with a microtome.

Abstract

Through a comparison to several epoxy resins, the physical properties relevant to both trace evidence examination and analytical microscopy in general were explored, with attention to viscosity, clarity, color, hardness, and cure speed. Finally, thin sections from paint samples embedded in this acrylic resin were evaluated to determine whether, through smearing or impregnation, the resin contributed to the infrared spectra. The results of this study show that blue light-curing acrylic resins provide the desired properties of an embedding medium, generate high-quality thin sections, and can significantly simplify the preparation of paint chips, fibers and a multitude of other types of microscopic samples in the forensic trace evidence laboratory. (Publisher abstract modified)