CHEMICAL ASPECT

OF
DOCUMENT
EXAMINATION
It is a fact that the essential materials in
a document examination of any kind are
the paper and ink or pencil, and the
chemical examination of inks, erasures,
alterations and sequence or writing are
often associated with such examination, it
will be very evident that there is a large
amount of purely chemical work in
document.
DOCUMENT
- An original or official written or
printed-paper furnishing information or
used as a proof of something else.
- Is any object that contains
handwritten or type written markings
whose source or authenticity is in doubt.
PACKING, PRESERVATION AND
TRANSPORTATION OF DOCUMENTS
1. Documents should be handled, folded and marked
as little as possible .
2. If folding is necessary to send the laboratory, the
fold should be made along old lines and place it in
manila paper or brown envelope and or in
transparent plastic envelope.
3. On receipt the document should be placed
between two sheets of plain white paper in folder.
4. Documents should not be touched with pencil, pen
or anything that could possibly marked them.

THE EXAMINATION OF
QUESTIONED DOCUMENTS
* EXAMINATION AND COMPARISON OF PAPER
- Essential material in a document
examination of any kind are the paper and
ink or pencil or writings.
- The examination of paper may be necessary
if we want to know the age of document,
the presence of alterations, erasures and
other forms of forgery.
PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED IN THE ANALYSIS
OF PAPER

1. Determination of whether two pieces

of paper originated from the same
source.
2. Determination of the probable age of
paper.
3. Determination of the composition of
the paper.
1. Fiber Composition - practically all papers maybe
classified from the standpoint of their basic fiber
composition into sets of fiber mixtures namely:

◆ A. Mechanical pulp - ground wood sulfite mixture, this

is pulp from coniferous and dicotyledonous wood in
combination with sulfite chemical pulp from conifers.
◆ B. Soda-sulfite mixture – chemical pulp from
dicotyledonous woods.
◆ C. Rag sulfite – cotton rag or linen rag.
2. Sizing material - added to paper to improve
texture.
ex. Rosin, casein, gelatin and starch.
3. Loading material - added to paper to give
weight and partially fills the pores between
the fibers of the paper. ex. Calcium sulfate
and barium sulfate.
SUBSTANCES USED FOR WRITING:
Egyptian papyrus - one of the earliest substances used
for writing. It is from the name papyrus that the word paper
derived. After papyrus came parchment and velum then
linen rag followed by mixture of linen and cotton or cotton
only.
Paper made from a variety of fibrous materials that about
the middle of the 19th century.
◆ 1800- straw was first used
◆ 1845 -1880- from soda wood pulp
◆ 1880-1890- from sulfite wood pulp.
*at present, a thin sheet of matted or felted vegetable fiber
( usually wood pulp) with filter as clay and sizing material
as rosin or starch.)

THE EXAMINATION OF THE PAPER

1. The age of the paper as compared with the

age of known document.
2. Whether a paper is identical with or
different from another paper history is
known.
3. Whether two sheets f paper of the same
manufacturer were made at the same time.
In this case we have to know when the
form was printed or when the paper was
first made that bears a particular mark.
THE FOUR TESTS FOR PAPER
1. Preliminary examination- deals with the
appearance of the document and the following
are observed:
◆ Folds and creases
◆ Odor
◆ Impression caused by transmitted light
-It gives indication of color, translucency where tampering
is made, change in tint which indicates substitution of
sheets of paper, watermarks and wire marks.
◆ Presence of discoloration in daylight and under the ultraviolet
light.
Watermark - Is one of the most important features in
the comparison of paper. It is the distinctive mark
design placed in the paper at the time of its
manufacture.
Wiremark - Marks produced on paper by flexible wire
soldered to the surface of the dandy roll that carries the
watermark.
2. PHYSICAL TEST CAUSING NO PERCEPTIBLE
CHANGE
- A test applied on paper without perceptible changing or
altering the original appearance of the document.
◆ Measurement of length and width- to indicate that they
originated from the same manufacturer if two pieces are
found to be exactly the same.
◆ Measurement of thickness
◆ Measurement of weight
◆ Color of the paper- It is closely related to its brightness.
A side-by-side comparison maybe made in well-diffused
light. Observation of color is influenced by the texture,
gloss, finish, type of illumination and element of human
error.
◆ Texture
◆ Gloss- gloss and texture maybe determined by visual
observation in good daylight or under different kinds of
illumination.
Continuation . . .
◆Opacity- The quality of paper that does not allow
light to pass through or which prevents dark
objects from being seen through the paper.

◆ Microscopic examination/ inspection- For

possible presence of dirt, foreign particles,
imperfections, wiremarks or certain unusual
fibers. These maybe a deciding factors in
determining whether or not the same
manufacturer made two pieces.
3. PHYSICAL EXAMINATION CAUSING
PERCIPTIBLE CHANGE
- This is done only if sufficient samples are
available and if prior authorization from the court is
required this can be done.
◆Bursting strength or “Pop” test- The apparent
pressure necessary to burst a hole in a sheet
when property inserted in a suitable instrument.
◆Folding endurance test-It is obtained on an
instrument that registers the number of
alternate folds before breaking.
Continuation . . .
3. PHYSICAL EXAMINATION CAUSING PERCIPTIBLE
CHANGE

◆ Accelerated aging test- There are some methods of aging

a document artificially namely:
1. Soaking in coffee station
2. Soaking in tea solution
3. Exposure to charcoal
4. Ironing
5. Heating in an oven
6. Exposure to ultraviolet light
◆ Absorption test- Maybe made to determine either the rate
of absorption or the total absorption of the paper. A strip
of paper is suspended in water or ink or other liquid.
4. CHEMICAL TEST - This test determines the fiber
composition, the loading material and sizing material
used in the paper.
◆ Fiber composition- The examination is purely
microscopic and it determines the material used and
nature of processing.
◆ Sizing material- The sizing materials maybe tested
by:
Procedure and Results:
➢1. Gelatine - Is extracted by boiling the paper in
water. The solution is tested with tannic solution.
Positive result is yellow precipitated.
2. Rosin – this is extracted by heating the paper
on a water bath with 95% alcohol. The solution
obtained is evaporated to dryness and the
residue is dissolved in acetic anhydride,
cooled, transferred to a porcelain dish and
strong sulfuric acid is added.
Positive result: violet color that quickly changes to
red brown.
Simple test for rosin – place a few drops of ether on the
paper and if rosin is present a brown ring will be
formed when ether evaporates.
3. Starch – add a dilute iodine
solution on the paper. Blue color is
produced if starch is present.

4. Casein – it can be detected by

addition of Millon’s reagent on the
paper. Pink color appears if casein
is present.
The Analysis of Ink
Some of the important questions that arise in the analysis
of ink are:
1. Whether the ink is the same or like or different in kind
from ink other parts of the same document or on other
documents.
2. Whether two writings made with the same kind of ink
were made with identical ink, or inks of different
qualities or in different conditions.
3. Whether the ink is as old as it purports to be.
4. Whether documents of different dates or as a succession
od differently dated book entries show natural variations
in ink writing or whether the conditions point to one
continuous writing at one time under the same
condition.
Types of Ink
1. Gallotannic ink or iron-nutgall ink (blue)
- today the most frequently used ink for making entries in
record books and for business purposes.
made of a solution of iron salt (ferrous sulfate) and
nutgall (iron gallotannate). This ink can penetrate into
the interstices of the fiber and not merely on the surface
thus making its removal more difficult to accomplish.
The color changes undergone by this ink in the process
of oxidation provides a valuable means of estimating the
approximate age of the writing.
Blue – with the naked eye; very recent
Violet – less recent
Black – still less recent
2. Logwood ink (black)- The color is dependent on the
inorganic salt added, but on drying they turn black.
3. Nigrosine ink or aniline ink (blue black or purple black)
- Made of tar product called nigrosine dissolved in water.
4. Carbon ink or Chinese ink or India ink- The oldest ink
material known. Today, finely divided carbon is held
colloidal suspension and used to produce deep black
drawing and writing ink.
5. Colored writing ink- Today most all inks are
composed of synthetic aniline dyestuffs dissolved in
water. In certain colored inks ammonium vanadate is
added to render the writing more permanent.
6. Ballpoint pen ink- Made of light fasr dues solution in
glycol type solvents like carbitol, glycol or eleic acid.
Paper Chromatography can be best analyze with this ink.

TEST FOR INK

 Physical method/test- Applied to
determine the color and presence of
alterations, erasures, destruction of sizes
with the use of stereoscope, hand lens and
microscope.
 Chemical test or Spot test- A simple test
wherein different chemical reactions or
reagents are applied on the ink strokes and
the chemical reactions or characteristics
color reactions or other changes in the ink
are observed.
DETERMINATION OF APPROXIMATE AGE
OF DOCUMENT
1. Age of ink - No definite procedure which
can be given for this determination except
when color is black, because on the
observation that within a few hours the
color of ink writings becomes darker the dye
contained therein is influenced by the light
of the the room, oxygen of the air, acidity
or alkalinity of paper.
Several methods of determining the degree of
oxidation of ink:

➢ Physical phenomena such as matching the color of

the color of the ink writing with standard colors or
with itself over a period of time.

➢ Chemical reaction that may reveal some information

concerning the length of time the ink has been on the
paper.
2. Age of paper:
➢Through watermarks
➢In certain cases from the composition
of paper.
OTHER ASPECT OF DOCUMENT
EXAMINATION
- The detection and deciphering of illegible
writing is one of the major problem in
document examination.

Illegible writing - Is unnecessary writing which

is not capable of being read usually made
on checks, birth certificate, passports and
transcript of records.
Example of illegible writing:
1. Erasures- The removal of writing the paper. It can be
mechanically or chemically.
2. Obliteration- The obscuring of writing by superimposing
ink, pencil or other marking materials.
3. Sympathetic ink- Substances used for invisible writing.
4. Indented writing- Term applied to the partially visible
depression appearing on a sheet of paper underneath
the one that the visible writings appear.
5. Writing on carbon paper- Remember that used sheets
of carbon paper can be made readable.
6. Contact writing- Blank paper may contain traces of ink
because of previous contact with some writings.