Login for students

Login for employees

Publication detail

Investigating the Aging of HMTD: Sensitivity, Detectability, and Explosive Properties Over Time
Authors: Vodochodský Ondřej | Matyáš Robert | Apeltauer Vojtěch
Year: 2024
Type of publication: ostatní - přednáška nebo poster
Page from-to: nestránkováno
Titles:
Language Name Abstract Keywords
eng Investigating the Aging of HMTD: Sensitivity, Detectability, and Explosive Properties Over Time Investigating the Aging of HMTD: Sensitivity, Detectability, and Explosive Properties Over Time Hexamethylene triperoxide diamine (HMTD) is an organic peroxide and a primary explosive. This compound was first synthesized by Legler in 18851). The use of HMTD in detonators was patented by von Girsewald in 1912. Despite its potential use as an explosive, HMTD has not found industrial applications in over a century due to its low chemical stability, but it has become one of the most abused homemade explosives2), 3). It is commonly used as a primary explosive in improvised detonators, but it can also serve as the main explosive charge in improvised explosive devices. This paper aims to investigate the aging of HMTD, focusing on its sensitivity to mechanical stimuli, detectability by detection instruments and dogs, and changes in explosive properties. Samples of different lifetimes were studied, ranging from freshly prepared to ten years old. The sensitivity to impact decreases slightly over time, but this effect is almost negligible. The friction sensitivity decreases more significantly over time: for a freshly prepared HMTD, it is 0.3N; for a one-year-old sample, it is 1.3N; and for a ten-year-old sample, it is 42N. Minor changes in the infrared spectra can be observed over time, with new bands of decomposition products appearing. However, this does not affect the detectability of HMTD by instruments based on infrared and Raman spectroscopy. In terms of canine detection of old HMTD, the large amount of degradation products due to low stability makes reliable detection by dogs challenging. A potential solution to this problem could be the generalization of odors. There does not seem to be a clear relationship between the age of the sample and the success rate of its identification based on the results so far. HMTD; homemade explosive; canine detection; sensitivity; ageing

Departments

Other Parts

Map

en.mapy.cz

Services

Popular Links

© 2023 University of Pardubice, Studentská 95, 532 10 Pardubice 2
Phone: +420 466 036 111, 466 036 112, 466 036 113
Webmaster, RSS
Data box ID: f5vj9hu
Accessibility Statement
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0