Follow the filament: PLA signature can help trace 3D-printed ghost guns
In Australia, a team of researchers has determined that biobased polylactic acid – a commonly used filament in 3D printing – can be used to trace the origin of “ghost guns.” A growing problem for law enforcement, such weapons are privately assembled and lack serial numbers, making them difficult to trace.
However, PLA filament manufacturers use different additives in their mixtures. In a new issue of the journal Forensic Chemistry, a team at Curtin University was able to identify how these unique chemical profiles could be used identify the filament manufacturer.
“The mix of ingredients used in 3D-printing filaments gives each type of filament a particular chemical signature,” the team told Dev Discourse. “We can identify these signatures using a method called infrared spectroscopy, which records how the filament absorbs infrared light. This pattern of absorbance – an infrared profile – changes based on what molecules are present in the filament.”
The ability to track the filament manufacturer can help lead law enforcement to ghost gun manufacturers.
Category: Chemicals & Materials
