Security Layer
By a light movement of a hand a promissory note is turning… into a simple paper sheet
The paper, owning security features, itself is an obstacle on the way of counterfeiters. Moreover - the paper with chemical protection. The documents, made on this paper, are able to give counterfeiters a lot of surprises, unpleasant for them. The matter is in protective features of documents and securities, which mostly are impossible to discover until anybody decides to undertake an attempt to counterfeit the document.
Due to the words of the department manager of Department of security technologies of the Association Goznak Sergey Goncharov, often protective features have got dual physics-chemical nature, because chemical processes are inseparable from physics. In so doing pure physical protective features in honour too.
Chemical and physical-chemical kinds of protection
Classification of protective features is carried out according to the principle of acting security-principle. It means, firstly, protection of originality of securities and documents. Secondly, it is
Protection of introduced information (other words, protection from changing adjusting data).
The first principle is based on chemical interworking of two substances- it is called "lock-key". While using the principle into paper mass on this stage chemical compound (reagent) is entered, which gives reaction of changing colour paper while interworking with certain compound (developer).
In the case of using technology of originality protection chemical compound-developer is entered intentionally with the help of a special soft-tip pen or a dropper. In one cases changed colour of the paper remains for a long time, in another- the paper changes colour for some period of time, but then comes back into the initial state, that allows to differentiate original from counterfeit. The second case is preferable, because the exterior of original paper (document) doesn"t change.
If a document is protected from changing adjusting data, while attempting to change the note in the place of corrosion there is a specific colourful spot appeared, impossible to disappear anywhere. Colourful spots come while using everyday oxidants and solvents. This spoiled document, especially if it is a passport or a bank check, is impossible to use. It is necessary to change in the appropriate institutions, after proving proprietary rights for the document and its originality. So, for example, in England very unstable for water pigment is placed on check books. While attempting to move an initial note out and set a new one the pigment is spread over. The check is spoiled.
Chemistry and life
According to these principles disappearing ink is made, firstly demonstrated in the film "Fantomas" and then in the film "Genius". The trick is simple: painted (alkaline) form pH -indicator, being placed on paper, gradually begins deoxidizing itself by carbon dioxide of the air
and acid components of the paper, pH increases, and the note disappears.
Now in stock there are special soft-tip pens, recommended for tailors and used while cutting as a not-soiling alternative to chalk.
Present time using chemical and physical-chemical ways of protection are developed far from given disappearing ink and soft-tip pens for tailors.
To Sergey Goncharov"s mind, today the means of chemical and physical-chemical protection might be used practically in all component parts of documents: not only in paper, ink and layers but in a cover, especially if it is a passport and also for plastic cards.
"The prospect, researchers of protective technologies are working over, is creating means of chemical struggle with counterfeits, allowing to combine protection of originality and protection of entered information,-tells Sergey Goncharov.- this moment there is engineering chemical compound with "long" molecules carried, able to react to different kinds of reagents. These substances will cost very expensive".
Luminescent ways of protection
The most common as protective means are luminophores. They can be of several kinds.
Luminophores with so-called big Stoks shifting, colourless at day- light and beginning emitting visual light from blue till red spectrum under ultraviolet radiation. They are used for painting fibers, entered as protective means into paper mass. Simplicity of the usage is the fact that fluorescence of fibers is seen with the naked eye.
There are also luminophores with antiStock shifting, whose peculiarity is in lighting in the visual spectrum under the influence of infrared light.
One more kind of luminophores owns so-called concentration extinguishing. It means that in big concentrations they don"t shine. If this luminophore is entered into usual ink or stamp paint, it will not shine. But as soon as a piece of paper soaked by solvent is pressed to the mark, there will be shining representation on it.
Counterfeit "lit up" on the xeroxs
Entering special fluorescent substances into printing ink is also a way of protection of information from xerox-copying. Fluorescent elements destroy the electronics of the xerox. Instead of a full-value copy of a document there is either fully lit up surface or a copy with notes like "Copy", "Копия", "Void" and others.
Thermo- and photosensitive colour
As a protective mark, thermochromium substances, changing their colours under temperature influence can be used. The given mark is placed on the label of beer "Afanasiy". While keeping indoor temperature it is colourless, but using cooling till temperature less than +10 degrees centigrade it becomes blue. While increasing the temperature the mark becomes colourless again. With changing the composition of the substance, it is possible to increase or decrease the temperature, during which the colour changing takes place.
Sometimes for protection so-called photochromy substances are used. These colourless or slight-coloured compounds own wonderful abilities. Under influence of light of certain wave length (sometimes it is visual light, sometimes it is ultraviolet) they get intensive colouring. In everyday life they are used in spectacles-"chameleon", becoming dark at bright sunshine; while making dolls, which get suntanned on the sun and so on.
There have been no similar cases
There is one more new specific chemical-botanical method, helping to struggle with different kinds of adulteration. Due to the stories of the specialists of Goznak, sometimes according to chemical and botanical analysis of plant spores, found on the false documents and banknotes, experts-botanists determine the region, where the party of false production was manufactured, that is easy to recognize due to information about the place of growth of specific kinds of flora.
The principle of tape-recorder
There is such means of originality protection as magnetized powder of special composition, which may be found with the help of the device, analogous to magnetic head of a tape-recorder. Naturally, magnetized substance itself has got colouring and is seen by a naked eye. So, placed mark is covered by black paint above (season tickets in public transport, plastic cards) or added by usual pigment (the USA dollars), camouflaging as usual printing ink. There are also devices, allowing to visualize magnetized mark.
At a loss for themselves
Full opportunity of counterfeiting modern chemical, physical-chemical and physical methods of protection, being used nowadays is estimated by specialists of Goznak skeptically.
Given methods of protection are not flaunted in public and mostly are the parts of hidden expert features.
To counterfeit chemical protection it is necessary to have serious education, great work experience, the most modern analytical and productive equipment.
Even having all of these it is impossible to copy what only developers of concrete protection know. Due to their words, they haven"t met these counterfeits in practice. Perhaps, because this kind of imitation is unreasonable from economic point of view and easy found at the first checking up.
Egor Shadurskiy
