Liqui-Drox

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Development Color:

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Method to Record:

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Hazard:

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Protective Clothing: 

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 Fume Hood Use:

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Formula

Procedure of Application

Development Complete When

Source of Error

Incompatibilities

Precautions

Storage Container

Safety

Recommendations

Similar Reagent

Sequential Reagent

Formula

• 200 ml Ardrox P-133D
• 400 ml Liqui-Nox
• 400 ml distilled water

Combine and stir the chemicals thoroughly. A thick milky-yellow solution should result.







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Procedure of Application

1. Using a camel hair brush, apply the reagent onto both sides of the tape until a lather is produced.
2. Wait approximately 10 seconds.
3. Rinse under a gentle stream of cold tap water.
4. Allow the tape to air dry.
5. View under a Forensic Light Source or Ultra-Violet lamp able to produce a long-wave ultra-violet light output. Use ultra-violet protection, yellow or orange colored goggles.
6. Photograph results using an ultra-violet blocking 2A filter.

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Development Complete When

The cyanoacrylate has absorbed the dye stain.













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Source of Error

The tape must first be processed with cyanoacrylate fumes prior to applying this reagent.

A clear-colored reagent solution which has been standing for some time should be stirred to restore its thick milky-yellow color prior to use.








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Incompatibilities

Items that inherently fluoresce in the long-wave Ultra-violet range will interfere with the dye stain fluorescence.












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Precautions

Stir the working solution thoroughly to restore its thick milky-yellow color prior to use.












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Storage Container

Dark stoppered glass or plastic bottles.













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Safety

Use Ultra-violet protection goggles when working with long-wave ultra-violet light sources.

Prepare the working solution in a Fume hood.










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Recommendations

Photograph the developed ridge detail immediately. Exposure to ultra-violet light for a lengthy time will cause the developed impression to fade.











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Similar Reagent

• Gentian Violet
• Liqui-Drox
• Liqui-Nox
• Sticky-Side Powder

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Sequential Reagent

​Not Necessarily in this Order:

• M.R.M. 10
• R.A.M.
• R.A.Y.

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Chemical Name
Liqui-Drox
​Surface Used On
Dark colored tapes, adhesive & non-adhesive sides
​Sensitive To
Cyanoacrylate deposit
​Abridged Reagent Sequence

1. Visual Examination
2. Forensic Light
3. Cyanoacrylate Fuming
4. Liqui-drox
5. Ultra-Violet Lamp
6. R.A.M.
7. Forensic Light

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Ridge Detail Visualized by:
Ultra-Violet light induced

Reagent Applicabilities:
Post Cyanoacrylate
Non-Porous surfaces
Tape Technique

Other Chemical Name(s):
None

​Working Solution Shelf-life:
Six (6) months

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Process Summary:
Effective for dark-colored adhesive tapes, the Liqui-Drox method is a post-cyanoacrylate process involving brushing the reagent unto tape, rinsing, then viewing the result under long-wave ultra-violet light. This reagent is composed of a mixute of a fluorescent agent, a detergent and water. ​

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Accepted Deviations:
None

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Supporting Reference Materials:

1. Minutiae Magazine, Summer Special 1994, Issue No. 24, pg.7.
   
2. "Chemical Formulas and Processing Guide for Developing Latent Prints", U.S. Dept. of Justice, pg. 47-48, 1994.
   
3. Hollars, M., Trozzi, T., and Barron, B., "Development of Latent Fingerprints on Dark Colored Sticky Surfaces Using Liqui-Drox", Jor. Forensic Identification, Vol. 50, No. 4, July/Aug 2000, pp. 357-362.