FORENSICS, FAKES, AND FAILURES - PYROLYSIS IS ONE PART IN THE OVERALLARMORY

Pyrolysis methods are only one section of the wide range of techniques which are currently being used to investigate forensic samples in pol ice work, fakes in art and archaeology, and failures in functional ind ustrial components. Other methods include direct chromatographic and m ass spectrometric methods, UV and IR methods, optical and electron mic roscopy, X-ray methods, isotope and thermoluminescent dating, biochemi cal methods, and pattern/style analysis. (This list is by no means exc lusive). Some contributions from pyrolysis are outlined, and also the principles underlying some of the other current investigative methods are reviewed. Specific examples are provided to illustrate the scope o f some of the methods. Finally, details of a case history are discusse d, where detective work involving pyrolysis methods has been involved. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.