Secondary ion mass spectrometry of powdered explosive compounds for forensic evidence analysis
RATIONALE Residual quantities of explosives deposited on, or absorbed in, nearby surfaces can be of forensic value in post‐blast analysis. As secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) may be a suitable analytical approach for the screening of such residues, its performance was evaluated. METHODS The an...
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Published in | Rapid communications in mass spectrometry Vol. 26; no. 10; pp. 1203 - 1207 |
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Main Authors | , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
Chichester, UK
John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
30.05.2012
Wiley Subscription Services, Inc |
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | RATIONALE
Residual quantities of explosives deposited on, or absorbed in, nearby surfaces can be of forensic value in post‐blast analysis. As secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) may be a suitable analytical approach for the screening of such residues, its performance was evaluated.
METHODS
The analyses were carried out in a SIMS instrument fitted with a quadrupole analyzer. The sample was sputtered at a 45º incidence angle with a 100 µm primary Ar+ beam (3 keV, 500 nA). Surface sample compensation was performed with low‐energy electrons (500 eV, 0.75 mA).
RESULTS
TNT, RDX, PETN and cloratite were deposited in powdered form on double‐sided tape and introduced into the mass spectrometer, without further handling, for SIMS analysis. The analysis conditions including compensation were optimized. A mixture of energetic compounds commonly used for explosive preparation was also analyzed, proving the potential of SIMS in forensic analysis.
CONCLUSIONS
This study demonstrated the possibility of detecting explosives by SIMS making use of a simple sampling procedure consisting of sticking the sample in powdered form (compatible with the collection performed in forensic post‐blast analysis) onto double‐sided tape without handling or preparation. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. |
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Bibliography: | istex:496FFB61537FA24C9F0FF413F0625A6DF8EFDD17 Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación - No. CTQ2008-02197 ark:/67375/WNG-3WJ98HVP-K Consejería de Ciencia e Innovación, Junta de Andalucía - No. P07-FQM-03308 ArticleID:RCM6213 ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 ObjectType-Article-2 ObjectType-Feature-1 |
ISSN: | 0951-4198 1097-0231 |
DOI: | 10.1002/rcm.6213 |