Evaluation of Loss of Phenoxyethanol from a Ballpoint Pen Ink over Time by GC-MS Depending on the Location of the Signature on the Document

Quantification of the loss of phenoxyethanol (PE) once an ink is deposited on the paper is 1 of the methods currently used to determine the relative ages of inks on paper. This work reports an in-depth study on differences in the aging curves, based on the loss of PE, between an ink placed on the 1st page or an ink placed on an internal page of the document. A possible cross-contamination in the values of PE has been also studied, taking into account the amount of PE absorbed and retained by the paper fibres in the pages preceding the page on which the signature is placed. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) has been used to evaluate the PE.