Identification of Explosives

C.R. Midkiff, In Forensic Science Handbook, R. Saferstein, Ed., Prentice-Hall:Englewood C

liffs, New Jersey, 1982, 222-266.
 Type of Explosives
Military
Commercial
Home-made (Improvised)

igh Explosives Low Explosives

Explode : burn rapidly but Deflagrate : burn with great heat and
smoothly. intense light (flash).

Burning rate:20,000 ft/s. Burning rate:1,200 ft/s.

No container is required. Require pressure container.

Initiated by shock with booster Initiated with a burning fuse or

charge or blasting cap. a hot wire.
gh Explosives TNT 2,6-DNT 2,4-DNT
CH3 CH3
CH3
O2N NO2 NO2
O2N NO2
roaromatics
NO2 NO2

NO2 O2N
N N NO2
H2C CH2 N
clic nitramines N N
RDX
N HMX
O2 N C NO2 O2 N N
H2
NO2

Cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine Cyclotetramethylenetetranitramine

roaliphatics
CH2 CH CH2 CH2 CH2 CH2ONO2
O2NOH2C C CH2ONO2
ONO2 ONO2 ONO2 ONO2 ONO2 CH2ONO2

Nitroglycerine Ethylene glycol dinitrate Pentaerythritol tetranitrate

NG EGDN PETN
gh Explosives Military
TNT RDX PETN
CH3 NO2
O2N NO2 N CH2ONO2
H2C CH2 O2NOH2C C CH2ONO2
N N CH2ONO2
O2 N C NO2
NO2 H2
Yellow to muddy brown White powder White powder
Cast solid block, bead 90% in oil-rubber binder Flexible sheet explosives
C-4, Plastic explosives Tubular primers
“Military Dynamite” Detonating cord
Blasting cap
Ammonium
nitrate

Composition B
AMATOL
Hand grenades:
60/40 of RDX/TNT
gh Explosives Military, Commercial, Improvised
Dynamite

Dynamite type

omponent(%) Straight Ammonia Straight Gel Ammonia Gel

Nitroglycerine 39.0 16.5 32.0 26.2

Nitrocellulose - - 0.7 0.4

Ammonium Nitrate - 31.4 - 8.2

Sodium Nitrate 43.5 37.5 51.8 49.6

Sulfur - 3.6 2.2 5.6

Filler 13.8 9.2 11.2 8.0

Nitrocellulose
HO HO OH O2NO O2NO ONO2
O O
HO O OH O2NO O ONO2
O O
HO OH O2NO ONO2
OH ONO2
w Explosives Commercial, Improvised

Black powder : KNO3-C-S

PyrodexR : KClO4-C-S

Ammonium nitrate-Fuel oil(ANFO) : NH4NO3-Fuel oil

Flash powder (M-80’s, Cherry bombs):

Al powder or flakes-KClO4-C-S

Ammonium nitrate Gels :

Al powder or flakes-NH4NO3-Gelling agent
entification
1. Sequential solvent extraction
Extraction of Organic
components;
Acetone, Dichloromethane
filtered

slow evaporation

Organic extract Extracted debris

air dried

Extraction of Inorganic components;

Hot water
filtered

dried concentrated

Particulate Inorganic extract

Testing
entification

2. Testing

Organic extract:
-TLC: Silica gel/ 4:1 CHCl3:C2H4Cl2/1%DPA in EtOH

- Instrumental Analysis:
FTIR, GC, HPLC, MS, XRD

Inorganic extract:
- Instrumental Analysis:
FTIR, XRD, SEM/EDX