Detection and Analysis of Petroleum Distillates from Fire Debris by FTIR

摘要

Petroleum distillates, such as gasoline, diesel oil, kerosene, are often used as accelerants in arson cases. Different kinds of petroleum distillates in different conditions, that are gasoline, overheated gasoline, burned gasoline, diesel oil, overheated diesel oil, burned diesel oil, were identified by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer (FTIR). The results show that gasoline and diesel oil in different conditions have relevant characteristic peak locations, intensity and peak shape respectively and some same peak locations. Petroleum distillate type can be identified according to locations and shapes of characteristic peaks from fire debris. This method is rapid, inexpensive, simple to use and is sufficiently sensitive and discriminating to be of use for the analysis of fire scene samples.