Post-blast detection of traces of explosives by means of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

Samples obtained from debris after explosions of about 30 g of energetic materials were analyzed by means of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy using both, Globar and synchrotron infrared radiation at the ISMI beamline of the Singapore synchrotron light source (SSLS). Low- and high-strength-of-explosion blasts were performed during each test run with the same explosive material. From the spectroscopic measurements, traces of unreacted explosives were found on more than 200 different materials that served as sample catchers in the explosions. The integrality of the experiments done confirmed that FTIR spectroscopy is a sufficiently sensitive method to detect traces of explosives in post-blast residues even of high-strength explosions. The method requires only a minimal amount of sample and enables accurate and very fast identification of the presence of explosive material. Finally, the synchrotron radiation infrared source provided one order of magnitude higher sensitivity compared to the conventional Globar source.