Elemental analysis of white electrical tapes by wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry

• Published in: Forensic science international Vol. 232; no. 1; pp. 169 - 172
• Main Authors: Sun, Zhenwen, Quan, Yangke, Sun, Yuyou
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ireland Elsevier Ireland Ltd 10.10.2013; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Backing; Discriminating power; Discrimination; Electrical tape; Elemental composition; Forensic science; Forensic sciences; Fourier transforms; Pathology; Polyvinyl chloride; Qualitative analysis; Ratios; Spectrometry; Spectroscopy; Studies; Trace elements; Variance analysis; Wavelengths; X-ray fluorescence analysis; X-ray fluorescence spectrometry; X-ray fluorescence spectrometry; Elemental composition; Forensic science; Discriminating power; Backing; Electrical tape
• ISSN: 0379-0738; 1872-6283
• DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2013.07.009

Abstract The aim of this study was to analyze and discriminate electrical tapes using the wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry and statistical techniques. The backings of 46 white electrical tapes were analyzed. A discrimination of 90.4% was performed only by quantitative analysis of major elements (relative ratio of Cl to Ca). Ten distinct groups with a discrimination of 78.9% were yielded only by qualitative analysis of trace elements. Ninety-nine electrical tape pairs which could not be discriminated by major elements were further compared with the characteristics of trace elements. The overall discriminating power of 96.1% was obtained by the combination of quantitative and qualitative analysis. The ability of XRF technique to discriminate different electrical tapes was similar to several well-known methods combined.