Superglue Fuming of Fingerprints at Lower Temperatures Improves Results

Better Superglue Fuming of Fingerprints

University of Tennessee scientists, conducting research to better understand the chemical processes involved in superglue fuming of both recent and aged latent prints, discovered that the fuming process is more efficient when the print temperature is between 10-15 degrees Celsius (50-59 degrees Fahrenheit). Fuming works because vapors from cyanoacrylate, the adhesive that makes up many superglues, adhere to the ridges of fingerprints and harden. The temperature discovery came as part of their broader NIJ-supported research project to better understand the molecular processes in fingerprint fuming in order to establish guidelines.

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