Browsing by Author "Blackman, Christopher S."

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    Morphological variations of explosive residue particles and implications for understanding detonation mechanisms
    (2016-08-23) Abdul-Karim, Nadia; Blackman, Christopher S.; Gill, Philip P.; Morgan, Ruth M.; Matjacic, Lidija; Webb, Roger; Ng, Wing H.
    The possibility of recovering undetonated explosive residues following detonation events is well-known; however, the morphology and chemical identity of these condensed phase postblast particles remains undetermined. An understanding of the postblast explosive particle morphology would provide vital information during forensic examinations, allowing rapid initial indication of the explosive material to be microscopically determined prior to any chemical analyses and thereby saving time and resources at the crucial stage of an investigation. In this study, condensed phase particles collected from around the detonations of aluminized ammonium nitrate and RDX-based explosive charges were collected in a novel manner utilizing SEM stubs. By incorporating the use of a focused ion beam during analysis, for the first time it is possible to determine that such particles have characteristic shapes, sizes, and internal structures depending on the explosive and the distance from the detonation at which the particles are recovered. Spheroidal particles (10–210 μm) with microsurface features recovered following inorganic charge detonations were dissimilar to the irregularly shaped particles (5–100 μm) recovered following organic charge firings. Confirmatory analysis to conclude that the particles were indeed explosive included HPLC-MS, Raman spectroscopy, and mega-electron volt–secondary ionization mass spectrometry. These results may impact not only forensic investigations but also the theoretical constructs that govern detonation theory by indicating the potential mechanisms by which these particles survive and how they vary between the different explosive types.
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    The spatial distribution patterns of condensed phase post-blast explosive residues formed during detonation
    (Elsevier, 2016-05-06) Abdul-Karim, Nadia; Blackman, Christopher S.; Gill, Philip P.; Karu, Kersti
    The continued usage of explosive devices, as well as the ever growing threat of ‘dirty’ bombs necessitates a comprehensive understanding of particle dispersal during detonation events in order to develop effectual methods for targeting explosive and/or additive remediation efforts. Herein, the distribution of explosive analytes from controlled detonations of aluminised ammonium nitrate and an RDX-based explosive composition were established by systematically sampling sites positioned around each firing. This is the first experimental study to produce evidence that the post-blast residue mass can distribute according to an approximate inverse-square law model, while also demonstrating for the first time that distribution trends can vary depending on individual analytes. Furthermore, by incorporating blast-wave overpressure measurements, high-speed imaging for fireball volume recordings, and monitoring of environmental conditions, it was determined that the principle factor affecting all analyte dispersals was the wind direction, with other factors affecting specific analytes to varying degrees. The dispersal mechanism for explosive residue is primarily the smoke cloud, a finding which in itself has wider impacts on the environment and fundamental detonation theory.