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Tungsten Trioxide (WO3)

Definition

Pale yellow oxide of tungsten formed rapidly at temperatures above approximately 800 K when tungsten is exposed to atmospheric oxygen; its presence on a fractured filament is the primary physical indicator of hot-filament failure.

Related terms

ASTM E2927
Standard test method for the determination of trace elements in glass samples using LA-ICP-MS; specifies the element suite, calibration standards (NIST SRM...
BNS 2023 § 106
Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023 provision criminalising causing death by negligence; the primary charging provision for fatal hit-and-run cases in India, with enhanced...
Cold Filament Failure
Fracture of a tungsten bulb filament below operational temperature; characterised by a clean, brittle transverse fracture with no deformation and no oxide...
EUCAP
European Collection of Automotive Paints, maintained at the Bundeskriminalamt (BKA) in Wiesbaden; the European counterpart to PDQ for automotive hit-and-run paint comparison.
FCIN
Forensic Collision Investigation Network (UK); provides standardised protocols for fatal and serious-injury collision forensic examination, including paint, glass, tyre and filament examination.
Hot Filament Failure
Fracture of a tungsten bulb filament while at operational temperature (2,500-3,000 K); characterised by ductile deformation at the break, coiling, and tungsten...
LA-ICP-MS
Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry; a technique that fires a laser pulse at a sample surface, vaporises a tiny amount,...
PDQ (Paint Data Query)
RCMP-maintained international automotive paint database. Stores binder, pigment and layer data for vehicle original-equipment finishes from major manufacturers. Used to narrow a...
PVB Interlayer
Polyvinyl butyral film bonding the two glass layers in a laminated automotive windshield; retains broken glass in place after fracture, preserving the...
SWGTREAD
Scientific Working Group for Shoeprint and Tire Tread Evidence; US body that developed the dominant guidelines for footwear and tyre-mark examination, class-subclass-individual...
Treadmate
RCMP database of outsole designs for footwear comparison, used by Canadian forensic laboratories and accessible to partner agencies.

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