Badge Based Resin: A Novel Method For The Durable Preservation Of Powder Developed Latent Fingerprints

Abstract

The preservation of latent fingerprints is a crucial aspect of forensic investigations, as it enables the identification of individuals involved in criminal activities. Traditionally, the lifting methods have been widely used for capturing latent prints; however, it presents limitations in terms of durability, clarity, and applicability to different surfaces. This paper investigates a novel method for preserving latent fingerprints which is powder developed, using bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (BADGE) based resin, which offers several advantages over the conventional lifting technique. There already exist various lifting methods for the powder developed fingerprints such as tape lifting, using hinge lifters and gel-lifters (gelatin-lifters). However, these methods have disadvantages over the novel method of powder developed latent fingerprint using BADGE based resin method discussed here, for a long-term preservation of fingerprints.

BADGE based resin, with its superior clarity, strength, and resistance to environmental degradation, ensures long-term preservation of fingerprint details with minimal distortion, even under adverse conditions. Unlike hinge lifters, which rely on adhesive-backed materials that can be prone to damage or leave behind residue, BADGE based resin provides a more durable and rigid medium for lifting prints, ensuring better preservation and clarity. Its structural integrity allows for the precise handling of prints without the risk of distortion, which is especially important when lifting from textured or irregular surfaces. In addition, BADGEbased resin is more resistant to environmental conditions like temperature and humidity, which can influence the adhesive properties of hinge lifters. The adhesive tape lifters can leave adhesive residue on prints, in addition to this may distort or damage delicate prints. According to some studies gel lifters can easily deform the prints under pressure as they are susceptible to temperature and humidity changes, affecting adhesive strength. This hardened resin preserves the fine details of the fingerprint ridges and minutiae, providing an exceptionally clear and stable record of the print over a long period of time. The study delivers the effectiveness of BADGE based resin as a fingerprint lifting cum preservation method by evaluating factors such as print preservation quality, ease of application, and potential for future analysis. The results indicates that BADGE based resin provides better clarity and structural integrity, making it a promising alternative for forensic fingerprint preservation. Furthermore, this novel method demonstrates significant potential in improving the reliability and accuracy of fingerprint analysis in criminal investigations.