Examination of multilayer paint coats by the use of infrared, Raman and XRF spectroscopy for forensic purposes

Infrared microspectrometry and Raman spectroscopy have been applied for examination of multilayer fragments of paints, for criminalisctic purposes. The study showed that under the conditions used, Raman spectra in the visible range (633 nm) provided data on the pigments but gave little or no information about polymers. Infrared was found to be good for characterising the polymer but failed to provide useful data on some pigments. The results suggest that in many cases the identification of at least the main pigments should be feasible by Raman. The presence of identified pigments was confirmed by means of μ-XRF technique.