Detection of Liquid Explosives and Flammable Agents in Connection with Terrorism (NATO Science for Peace and Security Series B: Physics and Biophysics)

236 Pages·2008·3.75 MB·English

by  Hiltmar Schubert

Detection of Liquid Explosives and Flammable
Agents in Connection with Terrorism
NATO Science for Peace and Security Series
This Series presents the results of scientifi c meetings supported under the NATO Programme:
Science for Peace and Security (SPS).
The NATO SPS Programme supports meetings in the following Key Priority areas: (1) Defence
Against Terrorism; (2) Countering other Threats to Security and (3) NATO, Partner and Mediter-
ranean Dialogue Country Priorities. The types of meeting supported are generally "Advanced
Study Institutes" and "Advanced Research Workshops". The NATO SPS Series collects to-
gether the results of these meetings. The meetings are coorganized by scientists from NATO
countries and scientists from NATO's "Partner" or "Mediterranean Dialogue" countries. The ob-
servations and recommendations made at the meetings, as well as the contents of the volumes
in the Series, refl ect those of participants and contributors only; they should not necessarily be
regarded as refl ecting NATO views or policy.
Advanced Study Institutes (ASI) are high-level tutorial courses intended to convey the
latest developments in a subject to an advanced-level audience
Advanced Research Workshops (ARW) are expert meetings where an intense but informal
exchange of views at the frontiers of a subject aims at identifying directions for future action
Following a transformation of the programme in 2006 the Series has been re-named and re-
organised. Recent volumes on topics not related to security, which result from meetings sup-
ported under the programme earlier, may be found in the NATO Science Series.
The Series is published by IOS Press, Amsterdam, and Springer, Dordrecht, in conjunction with
the NATO Public Diplomacy Division.
Sub-Series
A. Chemistry and Biology Springer
B. Physics and Biophysics Springer
C. Environmental Security Springer
D. Information and Communication Security IOS Press
E. Human and Societal Dynamics IOS Press
http://www.nato.int/science
http://www.springer.com
http://www.iospress.nl
Series B: Physics and Biophysics
Detection of Liquid Explosives
and Flammable Agents in
Connection with Terrorism
edited by
Hiltmar Schubert
Fraunhofer-Institute for Chemical Technology,
Pfinztal, Germany
and
Andrey Kuznetsov
V.G. Khlopin Radium Institute, St. Petersburg,
Russia
Published in cooperation with NATO Public Diplomacy Division
Proceedings of the NATO Advanced Research Workshop
on Detection of Liquid Explosives and Flammable Agents
in Connection with Terrorism
St. Petersburg, Russia
17-19 October 2007
Library of Congress Control Number: 2008928141
ISBN 978-1-4020-8465-2 (PB)
ISBN 978-1-4020-8464-5 (HB)
ISBN 978-1-4020-8466-9 (e-book)
Published by Springer,
P.O. Box 17, 3300 AA Dordrecht, The Netherlands.
www.springer.com
Printed on acid-free paper
All Rights Reserved
© 2008 Springer Science + Business Media B.V.
No part of this work may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted
in any form-or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming,
recording or o therwise, without written permission from the Publisher, with the exception
of any material supplied specifically for the purpose of being entered and executed on
a computer system, for exclusive use by the purchaser of the work.
Preface
The organization of an Advanced Research Workshop with the title “Detection and
Disposal of Liquid Explosives and Flammable Agents in Connection with
Terrorism” was motivated by international findings about activities in this field of
application.
This ARW followed a meeting about the “Detection of Disposal Improvised
Explosives” (St. Petersburg, 2005). Both items show the logistic problems as one
of the lessons, terrorists have to overcome. These problems are connected with the
illegal supply and transport of explosives and fuels and as counter-measure the
detection of these materials.
The invention of liquid explosives goes back to the middle of the 19th century and
was used for special purposes in the commercial field of application. Because of the
high sensitivity of liquid explosives against mechanical shock, caused by adiabatic
compression of air-bobbles producing “hot spots” as origin of initiation the commercial
application was not very successful. Because of this high risk, liquid explosives are
not used in military or commercial application with some exceptions.
In the commercial field explosives as slurries or emulsions consisting of suitable
salts (Ammoniumnitrate etc.) and water are used to a large extend because of their high
insensitivity. In many cases these slurries or emulsions were unfit for terrorist actions,
because of their low sensitivity, large critical diameter and using in confinement.
In the military field liquid explosives are used in World War I and II as
bomb-fillings.
The large danger of spontaneous detonation was avoided by the storage of two
liquids in the bomb, who were not detonable for their own, but create a large power
if the liquid are mixed. Only after dropping the bomb the liquids were mixed by a
propeller-driven stirrer and than initiated.
In opposition to the tendency of safe handling, experiences have shown, that
terrorists ignore to a large extent the danger by handling liquid explosives because
of different advantages using liquid explosives: Available commercial product or
produced by simple processes, mixing from small portions to large ones and easy
to initiate with very high performance.
September 11th has shown also, that beside explosives also flammable fluids
reacting with air can be used for catastrophic effects. In military applications these
combinations are called “Fuel-Air-Explosives”.
v
vi Preface
In principle liquid explosives can be detected like solid ones, because they
contain the same functional groups and are suitable of trace and vapour detection.
Because of handling liquid explosives must be kept in containers of different
materials.
Therefore only those detection methods can be applicated which are transparent
through the distinct container-wall. These cirumstances reduce the choice of meth-
ods to a large extend. If the outside of containers are not absolutely clean, vapour
and trace detection can be used, if you have a negative result, you may be not sure
if there is explosive material.
For flammable fuels, well known detections methods can be used, if an access
to the fluid is possible. There is no detection method known about the composition
of the fluid if the liquid is absolutely closed in a container. There is only the possi-
bility to confirm, that there is material in the container.
Co-chairmen
Hiltmar Schubert
Andrey Kuznetsov
Acknowledgement
The international Advanced Research Workshop (ARW) was organized in
St. Petersburg by my co-chairman, Dr. Andrey Kuznetsov and his crew from the
Khlopin Institute.
I thank my co chair for his initiative to propose and organize this workshop,
which was the fourth event in a series of workshops dealing with detection of
explosives in connection with terrorism. Special thanks should be given to
Dr. Kuznetsov and his crew for the excellent local organization leading to a very
successful event.
Thanks also to the director of the Khlopin Institute, Professor Dr. A. Rimski-
Korsakov, for his interest and support.
The large international participation of scientists in this upcoming item of detection
of liquid explosives has shown the relevance of this item, and I thank all colleagues
from NATO and Partner countries for their contributions and discussions.
I thank also the Programme Director of the Collaborate Programmes Section of
NATO, Dr. F. Pedrazzini, for the support and interest in this ARW.
Hiltmar Schubert
vii
Contents
Preface ............................................................................................................. v
Acknowledgement .......................................................................................... vii
The Terrorist Pallet of Liquid Explosives and Flammable Fuels ............. 1
H. Schubert
Overview of Liquid Explosives’ Detection .................................................. 7
A.V. Kuznetsov and O.I. Osetrov
Chemistry and Properties of Liquid Explosives ......................................... 15
P. Mostak
What’s Special About Liquid Explosives? .................................................. 27
J.C. Oxley
Search of Explosives in Vehicles by Using Tagged Neutrons ..................... 39
G. Viesti, A. Donzella, G. Bonomi, C. Botosso, D. Fabris,
M. Lunardon, S. Moretto, G. Nebbia, S. Pesente, F. Pino,
L. Sajo-Bohus and A. Zenoni
Optimization of Hardware for Tagged Neutron Technology ..................... 47
M.D. Karetnikov, A.I. Klimov, K.N. Kozlov, E.A. Meleshko,
I.E. Ostashev and G.V. Yakovlev
Detection of Liquid and Homemade Explosives: What Do We Need
to Know About Their Properties? ................................................................ 55
D. Menning and H. Östmark
Detector of Hazardous Substances Based on Nanosecond
Neutron Analysis ............................................................................................ 71
V.A. Kalinin, A.V. Evsenin, A.V. Kuznetsov, O.I. Osetrov,
D.N. Vakhtin, P.D. Yurmanov and I.Y. Gorshkov
ix
x Contents
Some Detection Procedures for Liquid Explosives ..................................... 79
M. Stancl and M. Kyncl
Detection of Explosives Using Nuclear Resonance Absorption
of Gamma Rays in Nitrogen: A Russian/US Collaboration ...................... 97
T.J.T. Kwan, R.E. Morgado, Tai-Sen F. Wang, B. Vodolaga, V. Terekhin,
L.M. Onischenko, S.B. Vorozhtsov, E.V. Samsonov, A.S. Vorozhtsov,
Yu. G. Alenitsky, E.E. Perpelkin, A.A. Glazov, D.L. Novikov,
V. Parkhomchuk, V. Reva, V. Vostrikov, V.A. Mashinin, S.N. Fedotov
and S.A. Minayev
A Device for Detecting Concealed Explosives ............................................. 117
V.A. Teryokhin and Yu.I. Chernukhin
Trace and Bulk Detection of Explosives by Ion Mobility
Spectrometry and Neutron Analysis ............................................................ 123
D. Rondeshagen, G. Arnold, S. Bockisch, K.-P. Francke, J. Leonhardt
and A. Küster
Possibilities of Liquid Explosives Countermeasures at Airports .............. 133
J. Turecek
Close-Range and Standoff Detection and Identification
of Liquid Explosives by Means of Raman Spectroscopy ........................... 143
I. Johansson, M. Norrefeldt, A. Pettersson, S. Wallin and H. Östmark
Directional Detection of Nitrogen and Hydrogen in Explosives
by Use of a DD-Fusion-Driven Thermal Neutron Source .......................... 155
Kai Masuda, K. Yoshikawa, T. Misawa, K. Yamauchi, Y. Takahashi,
S. Shiroya, E. Hotta, M. Ohnishi and H. Osawa
Discrimination of the Explosives from Other Materials by Using
the Tagged Neutron Beam ............................................................................. 167
D. Sudac and V. Valkovic
Detection of Liquid Explosives and/or Flammable Liquids
by Different Techniques ................................................................................ 179
G. Bunte, W. Schweikert, J. Deimling, F. Schnürer and H. Krause
Hilbert Spectroscopy of Liquids for Security Screening ........................... 189
Y. Divin, U. Poppe and K. Urban
Liquid Explosives – The Threat to Civil Aviation and the European
Response .......................................................................................................... 205
C.J. De Ruiter and O.M.E.J. Lemmens