Explosive materials are composed of energy-rich substances that release stored energy through a series of violent chemical processes upon ignition. The chemicals responsible for these explosive reactions are typically unstable without the presence of secondary compounds that act as stabilizers for the reactive materials. The inclusion of stabilizers along with other chemical components used in the formulation like propellants, solvents, and tagging agents can be used to aid in the identification of explosive materials.
In this study, we demonstrate the capability of Custodion Coiled Microextraction (CME) and Solid Phase Microextraction (SPME) field collection and injection devices to detect explosive related materials using the Torion T-9 Portable GC/MS for the separation, detection, and identification of explosive materials and secondary identifiers.