Dating of Ink Entries by MALDI/LDI-MS and GC-MS analysis: Reality or Utopia?

In forensic examinations of documents the legitimacy of the age of an ink entry is often an essential question. Ballpoint ink contains equivalent amounts of dyes, solvents and resins. After the ink is deposited on paper, its composition begins to change qualitatively and quantitatively. The aim of this investigation is to develop mass spectrometric methods of analysis for dyes and solvents to evaluate the aging processes of blue ballpoint ink entries with only minimal or without chemical treatment. Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionisation (MALDI) and Gas Chromatography (GC) mass spectrometry methodologies were developed in order to characterise aging processes.