Thermogravimetric Analysis of Rubber for Forensic Purposes: A Case Report

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to determine the inorganic elemental components and thermal behavior of rubber samples collected from crime scenes and to compare them with a control sample. Thermal decomposition study revealed that decomposition temperature of rubber samples by TGA collected from crime scene exhibit 1 and 2 were consistent with decomposition temperature of control rubber sample exhibit 3. The DSC analysis showed that the decomposition temperature of the rubber samples exhibits 1 and 2 were 378.3 and 377.1 0C, respectively, consistent with that of the control sample exhibit 3 (378.8 0C). The micro-XRF analysis showed that elemental composition of rubber samples exhibits 1 and exhibit 2 matched with that of control sample exhibit 3. Thermal analysis was shown to be an important tool for characterizing the thermal behavior of rubber samples. Rubber samples collected from the scene of the crime with the rubber sample from the suspect’s vehicle can prove very valuable objective evidence.