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Detecting explosives book

by Mark Rowe

Field Detection Technologies for Explosives is a new book by Yin Sun, published by ILM Publications.

The discovery of ‘black powder’ 2000 years ago marked the beginning of the use of explosives and is still used today. However, contrary to its current day use whereby it is predominately used for its mass destruction and explosive properties by terrorists to attack civilians and cause harm, historically it was used for medical purposes before its explosive properties were even discovered.

There soon followed the large-scale manufacturing processes, transportation links and sophisticated methods of developments and before long it took its place as a major tool for killing people and causing harm on a significant scale. Furthermore, some powerful explosives can be manufactured with very few chemicals that are readily available on the mass market requiring no government control, meaning they can be manufactured by amateurs as well as the military services and industrial applications. They are also somewhat easier to obtain than chemical and biological warfare agents, the internet provides a wealth of information as to how to make them and they can be easily concealed and carried under clothing and in luggage.
‘Explosives’ includes both commonly used chemicals explosives such as Trinitrotoluene (TNT), Cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (RDX) and dynamite, and less commonly used mechanical explosives such as compressed gas containers and nuclear explosives. Terrorists tend to use different explosives, such as Triacetone Triperoxide (TATP), due to their availability and low level of regulation.

The harm that terrorist attacks bring to humanity, both in the loss of life and the instability to the economy, means that numerous steps have been taken and much time and money invested in researching and evaluating new detection technologies by reliable equipment. The key area of investment is the installation of equipment at airports to screen baggage, but also cargo containers at harbours and border crossings to prevent the transfer of explosives between countries.

This book, divided in Explosives Trace Detection Technologies and Bulk Detection Technologies, will explore the current field detection technologies for explosives, focusing on the principles and basic instrumentation (rather than complicated equations), however, due to the fast moving nature of this industry with new technologies being discovered and tested daily, some technologies discussed are not commercially available yet. Technologies discussed include ion mobility spectrometry, chemiluminescence, mass spectrometry, X-ray, neutron and quadrupole resonance and millimetre wave imaging technologies. Dogs still remain the most effective explosives detectors due to their ability to identify explosive vapour at very low levels, lower than any detector equipment. However dogs tire and can lose their sensitivity over long periods, hence why organisations worldwide have established numerous programmes and invested millions in explosive detector equipment to improve security.

The author, Dr Yin Sun, who has worked in the fields of analytical and environmental chemistry and analytical instrumentation for more than 20 years and focused on the research and development of anti-terrorism detection technologies for 10 years, has included a list of explosives given by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and US Department of Justice for easy reference.

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