Forensic Science and Technology Commons^™

Optimizing Methods For Separation Of Adhesive Tape From Fabrics And Obtaining Latent Prints From Adhesive And Non-Adhesive Sides, Elizabeth Vosburgh

Forensic Science Theses

Fingerprinting is a valued part of forensic science analysis. It has been around for decades, and has advanced with the passing of time. There have been numerous studies of the different ways analysts have encountered fingerprints in the field—but none on those deal with the removal of tape from fabric. To investigate this, eight fabric types (a cotton/polyester mix, spandex, denim, jeans, fleece, flannel, polyester, and vinyl), three commercially available tapes (duct tape, black electrical tape, and packaging tape), have been stuck together and separated with four different techniques (manual pulling apart, Un-Du commercial adhesive remover, liquid nitrogen, and a …