By Iddo, Section Interviews Posted on Wed Nov 08, 2006 at 11:23:08 PM PST
TATP - One of the most elusive explosives used in many deadly terrorist acts of the last few decades can now be identified by a recently developed, simple, and cost-effective pen-like device.
Professor Ehud Keinan from the Department of Chemistry at the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology worked for years on TATP. His laboratory's research established that the instability of TATP derives from the weak oxygen:oxygen bonds holding the molecule together that are disrupted upon mild heating or shock. In 2005, Keinan and his team published groundbreaking research revealing that, contrary to most conventional nitrogen-containing explosives, which transfer much of their energy into heat (thermal energy) in a fast exothermic reaction, peroxide-based explosives such as TATP and DADP undergo what is known as 'Entropic Explosion' in which there is an almost instantaneous decomposition of every solid state TATP molecule into four gas-phase molecules - one ozone and three acetone molecules. It is the accompanying enormous pressure exerted by the gas molecules (four for every one previously solid TATP) and increased entropy (disorder) of the gaseous state over that of the solid state that creates the tremendous explosive force and devastative power, 83% that of TNT and much higher than other "homemade" explosives.
Bookmark this story with del.icio.us
Digg this story
Furl this item
Have you Reddit?