Propylene Glycol Dinitrate (PGDN) as an Explosive Taggant

Abstract

Propylene Glycol Dinitrate (PGDN) is a liquid nitrate ester explosive which has been used as a gelatinating agent in some energetic formulations. The aim of the present work was to assess whether PGDN could be used as a detection taggant. The PGDN was synthesized in the laboratory using laboratory grade propylene glycol (PG). The purity of the synthesized PGDN was assessed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). A study of the thermal decomposition of PGDN was carried out using both DSC and thermogravimetry-mass spectrometry analysis (TG/MS) methods. The gases produced during thermal decomposition were identified by mass spectrometry and the influence of the heating rate was investigated. The duality of DSC-TGA was highlighted by studying the complementarity between these two methods. Vapour pressure and enthalpy of vaporisation of PGDN were considered as the foremost taggant characteristics, and were estimated using TGA and taking benzoic acid as the reference. The vapour pressure of PGDN at ambient temperature is 2.54 Pa, therefore the PGDN could be a good candidate as a detection taggant compared to other explosive taggants (Nitroglycerin, EGDN, DMNB and PDCB).

Identification of Absorption Spectrum for IED Precursors Using Laser Photoacoustic Spectroscopy

“…10P (36) 10P (34) 10P (32) 10P (26) 10P (20) 10P( 14) 10P (10) 10P( 8) 10P( 6) 10R( 6) 10R( 8) 10R( 10) 10R( 14) 10R (18) 10R (24) 10R (28) 10R (32) 10R (34) 10R( 36) 9P (36) 9P (34) 9P (32) 9P (28) 9P( 22) 9P( 16) 9P( 12) 9P( 8) 9R( 12) 9R (30) 9R (34) 9R (8) 9R (10) 9R( 16) 9R( 24) 9R( 26) 9R( 28 The laser power varies between 0.5 and 6.5 W depending on the emitted laser transition. The photoacoustic spectrum is realized by tuning the laser to different wavelengths and measuring the pressure changes in the cell.…”

“…-Is a clear, colorless, odorless liquid, soluble in most organic solvents. Through nitration of ethylene glycol, ethylene glycol dinitrate can be obtained, which belongs to the category of nitrate ester liquid explosives and can be initiated through mechanical stimuli, friction, or heat [36].…”