Abstract: The present invention is a vapor phase activator pad which produces fluorescent vapor fumes for use in a self-contained fingerprinting kit. The vapor phase activator pad is placed into an enclosed area order to fume an object in the area suspected of containing latent fingerprints. The vapor phase activator pad includes a fluorescent dye impregnated gauze pad and a composition. The composition consists of specified chlorinated organic solvents. The gauze pad is chemically treated with the composition so that when a quantity of alkyl-cyanoacrylate is placed onto the vapor phase activator pad. The vapor phase activator pad generates fluorescent vapors of the chemical cyanoacrylate wherein the latent fingerprints become exposed when an ultraviolet light source is shined on the object suspected of containing the latent fingerprints.

Abstract: The present invention is a vapor phase activator pad for use in a self-contained fingerprinting kit which includes a portable vapor tank into which the vapor phase activator pad is placed in order to fume an object suspected of containing latent fingerprints, the vapor phase activator pad includes a gauze pad. The gauze pad is chemically treated with a composition which consists of specified chlorinated organic solvents so that when a quantity of alkyl-cyanoacrylate is placed onto the vapor phase activator pad, the vapor phase activator pad generates vapors of the chemical cyanoacrylate. The composition consists of a first component and a second component. The first component is a mixture of two selective chemicals, trichloroethane in the range of 1 to 96 percent and stabilized with methanol in the range of 1 to 10 percent. The second component is a mixture of four selective chemicals, nitroethane and nitromethane in the range of 1 to 5 percent and stabilized with toluene in the range of 1 to 4 percent.