1 Non - Traditional Explosives : Potential Detection Problems

Most explosive detection technologies have been focused on nitro-based military explosives because, indeed, they have figured in international terrorist incidents. Not only are they readily available through purchase or theft or from sponsoring states, but methods for home synthesis of TNT, PETN and RDX are widely available. Presently substantial resources are being committed to developing explosive detection technologies to protect commercial aircraft, trains, tunnels, nuclear power plants, etc. against such terrorist threats. Most of the systems now under development target a specific characteristic of military or commercial explosives (e.g. mass density, nitrogen density). However, as counterterrorist measures make traditional explosives more difficult to obtain or more risky to use, we should anticipate terrorists may turn to non-traditional explosives. There are hundreds of energetic compounds and many common explosives which, while they do not meet exacting military demands, would be effective terrorist tools. Although explosive handbooks list hundreds of explosives, the following discussion focuses on only a handful. These have been chosen because they meet the following criteria. They are explosives or pyrotechnics that do not follow the classic patterns of military explosives, which new detection technologies are expected to target. The selected energetic compounds are easily obtainable or are readily prepared. This paper will also point out energetic systems that can produce violently exothermic reactions without the aid of traditional initiating systems, such as batteries or detonators. Throughout the reading there are suggestions of modes in which certain of these systems could find use in the hands of terrorist.