Handheld Raman (first defender) - Livonia Professional Firefighters

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Notable Military Explosive Testing ResultsFirstDefender was able to identify 85 percent of the military substances tested, or 58 out of 68 samples(mixtures included), as shown in Table 3. Interesting tests of note were tests of Semtex H, which is composedof RDX, PETN, and plasticizers, in two out of two samples the results showed as a mixture of PETN, RDX, andRDX/HMX mixture. The RDX/HMX mixture was in the system library as one entry, which was commonlyindicated when pure RDX or plastic explosives containing RDX were tested. Although HMX is a side productin the production of RDX, and may exist at low concentrations in RDX-based explosives, it should notnormally be detected by a bulk detection method such as Raman that relies on larger percentages of a mixtureto provide enough signal to be visible. The system was not able to give a result for Pentolite, which also containTNT and PETN, because of fluorescence due, in my opinion, to the product being a cast booster explosive.Composition B was also not able to be identified owing to its high fluorescence properties.TABLE 3. Military Explosive Sample Testing Results SummaryMilitary Explosive Green Screen Blue Screen Red ScreenSample Type Positive Match Mixture Present No Match Found TotalC4 8 8C4 (foreign) 9 9Composition B 1 3 4Demex 2 2DetaSheet (PETN rubber binder) 3 3Hexalite 1 1Hexamine 6 6HMX 3 3 6Pentolite 1 2 3PETN 3 3RDX 2 2RDX (foreign) 2 2RDX/HMX (US) 3 3Semtex 1A 1 2 3Semtex H 2 2Sodium Nitrate 1 1Sulfur & Hexamine 1 1Tetryl 3 3TNT 4 1 5Xylene 1 1GRAND TOTAL 53 (78%) 5 (7%) 10 (15%) 68Notable Explosive Components Testing ResultsSeveral oxidizing compounds used in binary explosives and as precursors were tested. Several commonprecursors and components were tested, including a variety of strong acids, organic compounds used as fuelsources, and sulfur. The strong acids were correctly identified, as well as the acetone, the sulfur samples andthe sulfur mixture samples. No black powder samples containing sulfur were tested, because of the possibilityof sample ignition. The system correctly identified urea, nitromethane, glycerine, and other compounds in thiscategory. Xylene was incorrectly identified as a multiple positive match; 3-ethylphenol (a compound similar instructure to xylene) and m-xylene.Performance of a Handheld Raman Spectrometer for Explosives Identification May 20098
Table 4 displays the results of the explosive component portion of this exercise, with a 92 percent correctidentification rate (including mixtures) in 107 out of 116 explosive precursor samples.TABLE 4. Explosive Component/Precursor Sample Testing Results SummaryExplosive Component Green Screen Blue Screen Red ScreenSample Type Positive Match Mixture Present No Match Found Total2-Butanone Peroxide 1 1Acetone 4 4Ammonium Nitrate 4 2 6Ammonium Perchlorate 8 8Barium Peroxide 4 4Calcium Hypochlorite 3 1 4Calcium Nitrate 2 2 4Dimethylhydrazine 1 1DMNB 1 1EGDN 3 3Glycerin 1 1Hexane 1 1Hydrazine Anhydrous 1 1Hydrogen Peroxide 2 2Isopropanol 2 2Magnesium Perchlorate 1 1Magnesium Sulfate 1 1 2Mercury Chlorate 1 1Mercury Chloride 2 2Methyl Nitrate 2 1 3N,N Dimethylhydrazine 1 1N-Hexane 2 2Nitric Acid 2 2Nitromethane 9 9Perchlorate Acid 1 1Perchloric Acid 1 1Potassium Chlorate 2 1 3Potassium Dichromate 1 1Potassium Nitrate 3 3Potassium Perchlorate 3 3Potassium Permanganate 3 3Sodium Azide 3 3Sodium Chlorate 3 3Sodium Nitrate 6 6Sodium Nitrate & Ammonium 3 3PerchlorateSodium Nitrate & Potassium Nitrate 1 1 2Sodium Perchlorate 3 3Sodium Peroxide 2 1 3Sulfur 6 6Sulfuric Acid 3 3Urea 3 3GRAND TOTAL 101 (87%) 6 (5%) 9 (8%) 116Performance of a Handheld Raman Spectrometer for Explosives Identification May 20099
Page 1 and 2: Performance of aHandheld Raman Spec
Page 3 and 4: Table of ContentsIntroduction . . .
Page 5 and 6: IntroductionAs a result of the decl
Page 7 and 8: and hexamethylene triperoxide diami
Page 9 and 10: The system was tested in three samp
Page 11: Examples of the positive match, mix
Page 15 and 16: Notable Fluorescence Considerations
Page 17 and 18: About James T. (Tom) ThurmanJames T
Page 19 and 20: Screen# Sample Category Mode Color
Page 21: Screen# Sample Category Mode Color

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