Reavis Madison, Goodpaster John
Forensic and Investigative Sciences Department, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.
J Forensic Sci. 2022 Jul;67(4):1431-1440. doi: 10.1111/1556-4029.15037. Epub 2022 Apr 3.
Forensic analysis of smokeless powder particles recovered from the debris of an improvised explosive device can provide information about the type of smokeless powder used and can aid investigation efforts. In this study, quantitative methods were used to yield information about the difference in the chemical composition of the particles pre- and post-blast. The technique, gas chromatography/vacuum ultraviolet spectroscopy (GC/VUV), was able to quantify nitroglycerin, 2,4-dinitrotoluene, diphenylamine, ethyl centralite, and di-n-butyl phthalate in pre- and post-blast smokeless powder particles using heptadecane as an internal standard. Post-blast debris was obtained via controlled explosions with assistance from the Indiana State Police Bomb Squad. Two galvanized steel and two polyvinyl chloride pipe bombs were assembled. Two devices contained single-base smokeless powder and two contained double-base smokeless powder. 2,4-dinitrotoluene and diphenylamine were successfully quantified in the single-base smokeless powder post-blast debris while nitroglycerin, diphenylamine, and ethyl centralite were successfully quantified in the double-base smokeless powder post-blast debris. Compounds were detected at concentrations as low as 9 μg of 2,4-dinitrotoluene per mg, <3 μg of diphenylamine per mg, 131 μg of nitroglycerin per mg, and <3 μg of ethyl centralite per mg. Concentration changes between pre- and post-blast smokeless powder particles were determined as well as microscopic differences between pre- and post-blast debris for both smokeless powders in all devices. To our knowledge, this is the first use of GC/VUV for the quantification of explosives.
对从简易爆炸装置残骸中回收的无烟火药颗粒进行法医分析，可以提供有关所使用无烟火药类型的信息，并有助于调查工作。在本研究中，采用定量方法来获取爆炸前后颗粒化学成分差异的信息。气相色谱/真空紫外光谱技术（GC/VUV）能够以十七烷作为内标，对爆炸前后无烟火药颗粒中的硝酸甘油、2,4-二硝基甲苯、二苯胺、二号中定剂和邻苯二甲酸二正丁酯进行定量分析。爆炸后的残骸是在印第安纳州警察拆弹小组的协助下通过控制爆炸获得的。组装了两个镀锌钢管炸弹和两个聚氯乙烯管炸弹。两个装置装有单基无烟火药，另外两个装有双基无烟火药。在单基无烟火药爆炸后的残骸中成功定量了2,4-二硝基甲苯和二苯胺，在双基无烟火药爆炸后的残骸中成功定量了硝酸甘油、二苯胺和二号中定剂。检测到的化合物浓度低至每毫克含9微克2,4-二硝基甲苯、每毫克含<3微克二苯胺、每毫克含131微克硝酸甘油和每毫克含<3微克二号中定剂。还确定了爆炸前后无烟火药颗粒的浓度变化，以及所有装置中两种无烟火药爆炸前后残骸的微观差异。据我们所知，这是首次使用GC/VUV对炸药进行定量分析。
