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 language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | JFS2004278 |
| Pages (from-to) | 582-586 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | Journal of Forensic Sciences |
| Volume | 50 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - May 2005 |
Keywords
- Color test
- Explosives
- Field test
- Forensic science
- Urea nitrate
- p-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde (p-DMAB)
- p-dimethylaminocinnamaldehyde (p-DMAC)
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