CHEMICAL ASPECT

OF DOCUMENT
EXAMINATION
At first impression it seems that the examination of questioned
documents is hardly within the province of a forensic chemist,
but if we consider the 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 examination.
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 typewritten
markings whose source or
authenticity is in doubt.
PACKINNG, PRESERVATION AND
TRANSPORTATION OF
DOCUMENTS
Documents are precious things and therefore should be treated
accordingly,
1. Documents should be handled, folded and marked as little possible.
2. If folding is necessary to send to the laboratory, the fold should be
made along old lines. Place it in Manila paper envelope or brown envelope
since it is sufficiently hard paper or it can be placed in a transparent plastic
envelope.
3. On receipt the document should be placed between two sheets of
plain white paper in a folder.
4. Documents should not be touched with pencil, pen or anything that
could be possibly marked them.
THE EXAMINATION OF
QUESTIONED DOCUMENTS
Examination and Comparison of Paper

The essential materials in documents 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 the
document, the presence of alterations, ensures and
other forms of forgery.
PROBLEM ENCOUNTERED IN
THE ANALYSIS OF PAPER
1. DETERMINATION OF WHETHER TWO
PIECES OF PAPER ORIGINATED FROM
SAME SOURCE.
2.DETERMINATION OF THE Probable AGE
OF PAPER.

3.DETERMINATION OF THE
COMPOSITION OF THE PAPER.
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.

SIZING MATERIAL
– added to paper to improve its texture. Examples of sizing materials are rosin, casein, gelatin and
starch.

LOADING MATERIAL
- added to paper to give weight. It partially fills the pores between the fibers of the paper. Examples of
loading material are 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 was 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 started about the middle of the 19th
century.
a. 1800 – straw was first used.
b. Between 1845 and 1880 – from soda wood pulp
c. 1869 – from mechanical wood pulp
d. Between 1880 and 1890 – from sulfite wood pulp

At present a thin sheet of matted or felted vegetable fiber

(usually wood pulp) with filler as clay and sizing material as
rosin or starch.
THE EXAMINATION OF PAPER
The examination and comparison of paper may determine
the following:

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 whose history is known.
3.Whether two sheets of 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

2. PHYSICAL TEST CAUSING A NO

PERCEPTIBLE CHANGE

3.PHYSICAL TEST CAUSING A

PERCEPTIBLE CHANGE

4. CHEMICAL TEST
1. PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION
-deals with the appearance of the document and the following are observed:
a. Folds and creases
b. Odor
c. Impression cause by transmitted light – gives indication of color, translucency where
tampering is made, change in tint which indicates substitution of sheet of paper, watermarks
and wire marks.
d. Presence of discoloration in daylight and under the ultraviolet light.
Watermark – if present is one of the most important features in the comparison of paper. It is
distinctive mark or design placed in the paper at the time of its manufacture, by a roll
usually covered with wire cloth known as dandy roll which serves as a means whereby the
paper can be identified as the product of a particular manufacturer.
Wiremark – Marks produced on paper by the flexible wire soldered to the surface of the
dandly roll that carries the watermark.
2. PHYSICAL TEST CAUSING NO PERCEPTIBLE CHANGE
– a test applied on paper without perceptible changing altering the original appearance of the document.

a. Measurement of length and width – to indicate that they originated from the same manufacturer if two pieces are found
to be exactly the same.
b. Measurement of thickness
c. Measurement of weight/unit area
d. 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 the element of human error.
e. Texture
f.Gloss- gloss and texture maybe determined by visual observation in good daylight or under different kinds of
illumination.
g.Opacity – the quality of paper that does not allow light to pass through or which prevents dark objects from being seen
through the paper.
h. Microscopic examination/inspection – for possible presence of dirt, foreign particles, imperfections, wiremarks or
certain unusual fibers. These maybe a deciding factor in determining whether or not the same manufacturer made two
pieces of paper.
3. PHYSICAL EXAMINATION CAUSING A PERCEPTIBLE CHANGE
-this is done only if sufficient samples are available and if prior authorization from the court is required this can be
done.
a. Bursting strength or “pop” test – the apparent pressure necessary to burst a hole in a sheet when property
inserted in a suitable instrument.
b. Folding endurance test – it is obtained on an instrument that registers the number of alternate fold the paper will
stand before breaking.

c. Accelerated aging test – there are some methods of aging a document artificially namely:
1. Soaking in coffee solution
2. Soaking in tea solution
3. Exposure to charcoal
4. Ironing
5. Heating in an oven
6. Exposure to ultraviolet light

d. 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.

A. Fiber composition – the examination is purely microscopic and it determines the material used and
nature of processing. This maybe determined by boiling a small piece of the document in 5% sodium
hydroxide. The liquid poured off and the fragment of paper washed and teased out on a glass slide and
stained with the following and the color observed under the microscope.
Reagents:
a.2 grams potassium iodide, 1.5 grams iodine, 2ml glycerine and 20 ml water
b.1) 20 grams zinc chloride and 10 ml water
Mix 1 and 2 allow the mixture to stand and decant clear supernatant liquid for use. (the solution is zinc
chloriodine)
a.1 gram Phloroglucine, 25 ml water and 5 ml conc. HCL
b.10% solution of aniline sulfate
B. 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 dilute tannic acid
solution. Positive 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 dissolved in acetic anhydride, cooled, transferred to
a porcelain dish and strong sulfuric acid is added. Positive result is reddish-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 detected by addition of Million’s reagent on the paper. Pink color appears if casein
in present.
THE ANALYSIS OF INK
Some of the most 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 on
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 an ink is as old as its purpose to be.
4. Whether documents of different dates or a succession of differently
dated book entries show natural variations in ink writing or whether
the conditions point to the continuous writing at one time under the
same condition.
TYPES OF INK
1.Gallotanic ink or iron nutgall ink (blue)
Today the most frequently used in for making entries in record books and for
business purposes. Gallotonic ink is made of a solution of iron salt (ferrous sulfate)
and nutgall (iron galotannate). 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

Change undergone by gallotonic ink:

a. First reaching a maximum degree of blackening within the first year and two yrs.
b. Then fades gradually over a period of many years until only a rust colored deposit remains.
This period of time can be stated only approximate since the oxidation processes are retarded or accelerated according to
the degree of atmospheric humidity, the light, the quality of the ink itself, the condition of blotting, condition of storage,
ect.
2. LOGWOOD INK (BLACK)
The color is dependent on the inorganic salt
added, but on drying and standing they turn black.
It is made of saturated solution of logwood to
which very small amount of potassium
dichromate is added. Hydrochloric acid is added
to prevent formation of precipitate. Phenol is
added as preservative. The ink is inexpensive,
does not corrode steel pen. Will not washed off
the paper even fresh, flows freely.
3. NIGROSINE INK OR ANILINE INK (BLUE
BLACK OR PURPLE BLACK)
made of coal tar product called nigrosine dissolved in water. It
easily smudge, affected by moisture, made washed off from the
paper with little difficulty.

4. CARBON INK OR CHINESE INK

OR INDIAN INK
the oldest ink material known. Today, finely divided carbon is held in
colloidal suspension and used to produce deep black drawing and
writing ink. Made of carbon in the form of lampblack. Does not
penetrate deeply into the fibers of the paper so that it may easily be
washed off. Not affected by the usual ink testing more permanent.
5. COLORED WRITING INK
today most all colored 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 fast dues solution in glycol type solvents like
carbitol, gycol or eleic acid. Paper chromatography can best
analyze this ink.
TEST FOR INK
The different classes of ink may be determined by many different methods such as
the use of reagents on the ink lines, the spectrographic method in the photographic
method. For our purpose only the physical and chemical methods will be discussed.

1. Physical Method/Test – applied to determine the color and presence of

alterations, erasures, destruction of sizes with the use stereoscope, handlens and
microscope.
2. Chemical test or Spot Test – a simple test wherein different chemicals or
reagents are applied on the ink strokes and the chemical reactions or characteristic
color reactions or other changes in the ink are observed.
The following table shows the chemical reactions of the different types of inks:
DETERMNATION OF APPROXIMATE AGE OF
DOCUMENT
1. Age of ink – no definite procedure which can be given for this determination except
when the 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 room,
oxygen on the air, acidity or alkalinity of the paper.
There are several methods of determining the degree of oxidation the ink writing and
apparently these methods depend upon:
a. Physical phenomena such as matching the color of the ink writing with standard colors
or with itself over a period of time.
b. Chemical reaction that may reveal some information concerning the length of time the
ink has been on the paper.
2. Age of paper
a. Through watermarks
b. 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 problems 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 from the paper. It can be made 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 visible writing appears.
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.
THANK YOU!