Comparison of RAMAN Microscopy and ASAP Mass Spectrometry for Identification of Selected Fountain Pen Inks

Abstract

There has been a rise of counterfeit and forgery crimes. For forensic purposes, research on fountain pen inks include identifying and distinguishing between samples. RAMAN spectroscopy analyses the vibrations of molecules and the spectra can act as a "fingerprint" for different fountain pen inks. A sample size of fourteen blue-black inks were analyzed. Ink spectra were added to an OMNIC database to compare and recognize similar inks to a certain confidence. It is anticipated that inks of the same brand or similar color will have a lower differentiation by the OMNIC software. If successful, the next phase will include a larger sample size with more brands. If inks are indistinguishable via RAMAN spectroscopy, inks will be diluted and compared to results from an ASAP Direct Mass Spectrometer.