Characterization of explosive energetic components in cotton fiber using Raman microscopy

An explosive is a chemical compound with the capability to produce enormous amounts of energy in a short period of time. The plastic explosives Semtex-H and C-4 are easy to conceal and difficult to detect. Based on this, it is necessary to improve available detection techniques used to identify and classify these explosives. Raman microscopy technique was applied in order to obtain a complete structural data without a complex procedure of sample preparation. The Raman microscopy analysis was performed for Semtex-H and C-4 explosives deposited on cotton fiber using the Dry Transfer method. One of the most remarkable characteristics of this methodology is the capability to identify and characterize the explosive with minimal interference from the matrix. The results demonstrated the efficiency of Raman microscopy to identify the explosive in common cotton fiber. The analysis revealed the characteristic vibrational bands of both Semtex-H (871, 1041, and 1291 cm-1 for PETN; and 885 and 1216 cm-1 for RDX) and C4 (884 and 1215 cm -1). The Dry Transfer method was efficient in characterizing the explosive components present on the cotton fiber. Moreover, the results obtained allow for the possibility to applying this fiber-explosives methodology at the FAA security checkpoint employing portable Raman systems.