Thermogravimetric Analysis of Arson Evidence

Combustion residue is one of the main research subjects in arson evidence identification. In this paper, the common evidence of arson were tested and analyzed by thermogravimetric analysis. The combustion residue of the mixture of combustion agent and the carrier was selected as the research object, in order to research the thermal properties of the residue under different conditions. The results show that characteristic temperature of each sample is mainly affected by the types of carrier, and the characteristic temperature of the same carrier is similar. Combustion of PE and PET is not sufficient, and the corresponding residue has a significant weight loss in the text. In the process of combustion, wood and cotton cloth is burning completely, and the corresponding residue is not obvious in heat loss. The pyrolysis temperature of the combustion residue is higher than 400°C, and it will be not deteriorate before 400°C.