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To: Sax
A new terrorist explosive, triacetone triperoxide (TATP), has recently appeared as a weapon in the Middle East. TATP has been used by suicide bombers in Israel, and was chosen as a detonator in 2001 by the thwarted "shoe bomber" Richard Reid. It can be as or more powerful than military analogs. TATP is one of the most sensitive explosives known, being extremely sensitive to impact, temperature change and friction. Another peroxide-type explosive is hexamethylene triperoxide diamine (HMTD), which is less sensitive than TATP but still dangerous. HMTD is somewhat more sensitive to impact than TCPT, but both are very sensitive explosives. The explosion of TATP is not a thermochemically highly favored event. In conventional high explosives such as TNT, each molecule contains both a fuel component and an oxidising component. When the explosive detonates, the fuel part is oxidised and as this combustion reaction spreads it releases large amounts of heat. The explosion of TATP involves entropy burst, which is the result of formation of one ozone and three acetone molecules from every molecule of TATP in the solid state. Just a few hundred grams of the material produce hundreds of litres of gas in a fraction of a second. The explosion of TATP is similar to the decomposition of azide, for example, which produces nitrogen gas but little heat, is used to fill airbags for cars. TATP is the most extreme example currently known, but it may be possible to design molecules that behave as an even more powerful explosive. TATP can be easily prepared in a basement lab using commercially available starting materials obtained from, e.g., hardware stores, pharmacies, and stores selling cosmetics. TATP is a fairly easy explosive to make, as far as explosives manufacturing goes. All it takes is acetone, hydrogen peroxide (3% medicinal peroxide is not concentrated enough), and a strong acid like hydrochloric or sulfuric acid. I don't recommended mixing up a batch for Independence Day celebrations because it's easy to blow yourself up when you make it.

Source http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/munitions/tatp.htm

16 posted on 08/10/2006 10:00:40 AM PDT by Ben Mugged
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To: Ben Mugged
TATP but still dangerous. HMTD is somewhat more sensitive

HTML suffers much abuse every day and rarely detonates before preview.

99 posted on 08/10/2006 11:16:02 AM PDT by RightWhale (Repeal the law of the excluded middle)
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To: Ben Mugged
Close but no cigar. While triacetone triperoxide is formulated from two liquids, the reaction must be conducted at freezing temperature. The resultant explosive, a crystalline solid, requires further processing before use. Not the sort of thing you could do in "tourist class".

Regards,
GtG

107 posted on 08/10/2006 11:42:27 AM PDT by Gandalf_The_Gray (I live in my own little world, I like it 'cuz they know me here.)
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