A field diagnostic test for the improvised explosive urea nitrate

Joseph Almog*, Asne Klein, Tsippy Tamiri, Yael Shloosh, Sara Abramovich-Bar

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

43 Scopus citations

Abstract

A sensitive, specific and simple color test for the improvised explosive urea nitrate is described. It is based on the formation of a red pigment upon the reaction between urea nitrate and p-dimethylaminocinnamaldehyde (p-DMAC) under neutral conditions. Urea itself, which is the starting material for urea nitrate, does not react with p-DMAC under the same conditions. Other potential sources of false positive response e.g., common fertilizers, medications containing the urea moiety and various amines, do not produce the red pigment with p-DMAC. Exhibits collected from 10 terrorist cases have been tested with p-DMAC. The results were in full agreement with those obtained by instrumental techniques including GC/MS, XRD and IR.

Original languageEnglish
Article numberJFS2004278
Pages (from-to)582-586
Number of pages5
JournalJournal of Forensic Sciences
Volume50
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - May 2005

Keywords

  • Color test
  • Explosives
  • Field test
  • Forensic science
  • p-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde (p-DMAB)
  • p-dimethylaminocinnamaldehyde (p-DMAC)
  • Urea nitrate

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