Proceedings Article | 3 May 2016
KEYWORDS: Explosives, Raman spectroscopy, Scanning electron microscopy, Statistical analysis, Liquids, Spectroscopy, Internet, Chromatography, Databases, Potassium
Within the analysis of cases relating to the use of explosives for crimes, we have experienced a shift from using
industrial explosives towards substances made in amateur and illegal way. Availability of industrial explosives is
increasingly limited to a narrow sphere of subjects with a relevant permission. Thus, on the part of perpetrators,
terrorists, ever greater attention is paid to illegal production of explosives that are easily made from readily available raw
materials. Another alarming fact is the availability of information found on the internet. Procedures of preparation are
often very simple and do not require even a deeper professional knowledge. Explosive characteristics are not actually
accessible for many of these substances (detonation velocity, sensitivity, working capacity, brisance, physical and
chemical stability, etc.). Therefore, a project is being implemented, which on grounds of assessment of individual
information available in literature and on the internet, aiming at choosing individual areas of potentially abusable
substances (e.g. mixtures of nitric acid (98%) with organic substances, mixtures nitromethane and tetranitromethane
with organic substances, mixtures of chlorates and perchlorates of alkali metals with organic substances, chemically
individual compounds of organic base type of perchloric acid, azides, fulminates, acetylides, picrates, styphnates of
heavy metals, etc.). It is directed towards preparation of these explosives also in non-stoichiometric mixtures, conducting
test explosives, determination of explosive characteristics (if they are unknown) and analysis of both primary phases and
post-blast residues through available analytical techniques, such as gas and liquid chromatography with mass detection,
FTIR, micro-Raman spectrometry, electron microscopy with microanalysis and Raman microspectrometry directly in
SEM chamber for analysis at the level of individual microparticles. The received characteristics will be used to extend
knowledge database for security forces.
