Characterization of encapsulated energetic materials for trace explosives aids for scent (TEAS)

ABSTRACT

Encapsulation is proposed as a safer way of handling energetic materials. Different encapsulation methods for explosives, such as solvent evaporation, spray coating and supercritical carbon dioxide assisted encapsulation, were explored. Explosive training aids, where energetic materials, such as triacetone triperoxide (TATP), erythritol tetranitrate (ETN) and trinitrotoluene (TNT), are encapsulated in a polymer matrix were developed, followed by comprehensive quality control testing, including differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis-infrared spectroscopy (TGA-IR), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) and sensitivity testing, and finally field approved by canine units trained on the pure explosive.

KEYWORDS:

• Training aids
• encapsulation
• insensitive explosives
• dry ammonium nitrate
• explosives characterization

Acknowledgments

This article is based upon work supported by U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Science & Technology Directorate, Office of University Programs, under Grant 2013-ST-061-ED0001. Views and conclusions are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as necessarily representing the official policies, either expressed or implied, of DHS.

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed on the publisher’s website.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Department of Homeland Security Science & Technology Directorate [2013-ST-06-ED0001].