Identification of Fire-Retardant Chemicals Via Instrumental Analysis
Faculty Mentor Name
Rachael Schmidt
Format Preference
Poster
Abstract
Fiber trace evidence is one of the most common forms of evidence found at a crimes Scene; these evidentiary items often have unique flame-retardant chemical compositions or volatile chemical signatures. The retardant compounds on fiber samples can be used as an additional piece of evidence to trace a fiber from a victim to a source sample. In order to extract these chemical signatures, the following research uses scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC/MS), using both liquid and volatile samples. The volatile analysis will be performed using solid phase microextraction (SPME) which allows for nondestructive testing of samples. Testing using SPME and FTIR has revealed that the organic material of the sample makes up the majority of the analysis results. Samples undergo liquid-liquid extraction methods in acid and methanol to extract fire retardant chemical signature from the fiber sample. SPME fiber analysis is concluded, and further development of a liquid-liquid extraction method will continue to maximize the amount of fire-retardant chemicals removed from the fiber.
Identification of Fire-Retardant Chemicals Via Instrumental Analysis
Fiber trace evidence is one of the most common forms of evidence found at a crimes Scene; these evidentiary items often have unique flame-retardant chemical compositions or volatile chemical signatures. The retardant compounds on fiber samples can be used as an additional piece of evidence to trace a fiber from a victim to a source sample. In order to extract these chemical signatures, the following research uses scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC/MS), using both liquid and volatile samples. The volatile analysis will be performed using solid phase microextraction (SPME) which allows for nondestructive testing of samples. Testing using SPME and FTIR has revealed that the organic material of the sample makes up the majority of the analysis results. Samples undergo liquid-liquid extraction methods in acid and methanol to extract fire retardant chemical signature from the fiber sample. SPME fiber analysis is concluded, and further development of a liquid-liquid extraction method will continue to maximize the amount of fire-retardant chemicals removed from the fiber.