Difference in Powders

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josher89
Posts: 509
Joined: Mon Aug 21, 2006 10:32 pm
Location: NE USA

Difference in Powders

Post by josher89 »

I was asked a question by someone and I couldn't really answer so I'm hoping someone here does know.

What is the difference between sticky-side powder and regular powder? I know the difference in their uses but what's different about the actual powder component?

We normally make our own sticky-side powder suspension (Lightning Liquinox formula) but have some sticky-side powders in our cabinet that haven't been ever used and I'm curious to know how they differ from my black Lightning powder.
"...he wrapped himself in quotations—as a beggar would enfold himself in the purple of emperors." - R. Kipling, 1893
gerritvolckeryck
Posts: 51
Joined: Tue Apr 25, 2006 12:03 pm
Location: Brussels - Belgium

Re: Difference in Powders

Post by gerritvolckeryck »

You can take a look at the MSDS sheets (Sirchie, Lightning doesn't say anything):
Black sticky side: http://d1zh4ok0q8k7dm.cloudfront.net/me ... p50d_2.pdf : iron oxide (100 % ?)
Black powder : http://d1zh4ok0q8k7dm.cloudfront.net/me ... p698_2.pdf : iron oxide (66%) and lycopodium (33 %)

Although several other mixtures can be possible for black powder. "Fingerprint Mechanics" by Walter Scott (1951) is a good source for all kinds of fingerprint powder mixtures.

All the best,

Gerrit
Gerrit Volckeryck
Federal Judicial Police
Forensic Science Directorate
Brussels, Belgium
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