Black and Smokeless Powders Technologies for Finding Bombs and the Bomb Makers (1998) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
1 Background and Overview
1 Background and Overview
Pages 14-37
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 14... ...
(d) "disc" smokeless powder.
|
From page 15... ...
In the hands of criminals, however, black and smokeless powders can be used to fill a variety of containers (e.g., pipes, tubes, or bottles) to make very effective bombs.
|
From page 16... ...
, black and smokeless powders are the explosive materials most commonly used in improvised explosive devices in the United States; in 1995 these propellants were in roughly one-third of all such devices (ATE, 1997; FBI, 1997)
|
From page 17... ...
The Act stipulates that the study examine the inclusion of markers or taggants in smokeless and black powder in light of several issues: safety, assistance to law enforcement officers' investigative efforts, effect on powder performance in lawful uses, environmental impact, costs to manufacturers and consumers, and susceptibility to countermeasures.6 In the discussion of record keeping that supplements Chapter 3's discussion of taggants for black or smokeless powders, the committee focuses on the retail sale of canister powders to the public for reloading and muzzle loading. Detailed examination of the distribution and tracking systems for the products that use these powders (such as ammunition and fireworks, or pyrotechnics)
|
From page 18... ...
A brief description of pyrotechnic compositions and devices is given in Box 1.1. BLACK AND SMOKELESS POWDERS: CHARACTERISTICS, PRODUCTION, AND DISTRIBUTION Any discussion of marking or tagging black or smokeless powders must be informed by an understanding of the variety of legal uses for these powders, the manufacturing processes that produce these powders, and the distribution and sales systems that bring the powders to users.
|
From page 19... ...
BACKGROUND AND OVERVIEW 19 Black powder consists of a combination of the fuels charcoal and sulfur along with the oxidizing agent potassium nitrated No chemical reactions are involved in the manufacturing process, which depends entirely on the intimate physical mixing of the ingredients in fixed proportions. The physical properties 9Some black powders, designated as "Grade B blasting," use sodium nitrate instead of potassium nitrate.
|
From page 20... ...
Smokeless powders are not truly smokeless but, in comparison to black powder, the "smoke" products produced when smokeless powders are used in ammunition are much cleaner. Smokeless powders are generally grouped in three broad categories, based on their chemical compositions: single base, double base, and triple base.
|
From page 21... ...
Another class of specially formulated propellants is composite propellants in which the oxidizers and fuels are separate materials.ll These propellants are used in a variety of applications, including as rocket fuel and as gas generators.l2 l3 Triple-base powders and composite propellants are manufactured for specialty uses and not sold to the general public. Single- and double-base smokeless powders are produced mainly for use in ammunition and are sold to both ammunition manufacturers and sporting shooters for this purpose.
|
From page 22... ...
In addition, by hand loading ammunition, the shooter has much more control over the exact specifications of the ammunition and therefore over the performance (National Shooting Sports Foundation, 1996~.14 Producers of Black and Smokeless Powders Black and smokeless powders sold in the United States are manufactured by a small number of U.S. companies and imported from foreign companies all over the world.
|
From page 23... ...
companies, such as Hodgdon Powder Company and Accurate Arms, for commercial sales within the United States. Distribution Systems Both black and smokeless powders are sold to individuals at a variety of retail outlets.
|
From page 24... ...
This background is necessary for the discussion in Chapters 2 and 3 on the feasibility and desirability of adding markers or taggants to these powders. Black Powders and Black Powder Substitutes The performance of black powder depends in large part on the process by which it is manufactured.
|
From page 25... ...
F- hi | E ~ C Ct ..................................
|
From page 26... ...
This section briefly describes the two processes used to produce double-base propellant, the most common of the commercially available smokeless powders. At the beginning of the extruded smokeless powder process, the major ingredients are mixed together with solvents to form a dough.
|
From page 27... ...
BLACK AND SMOKELESS POWDERS IN IMPROVISED EXPLOSIVE DEVICES The construction of an effective bomb using black or smokeless powder requires several components, including, at a minimum, a robust container, the propellant powder, and an initiation system (for a rough sketch, see Figure 3.1 in Chapter 3~. Other common potential elements include a power source, a timing device, and nails or tacks.
|
From page 28... ...
STATISTICS ON THE USE OF IMPROVISED EXPLOSIVE DEVICES CONTAINING BLACK AND SMOKELESS POWDERS Two federal agencies gather statistics on bombing incidents in the United States: the ATF and the FBI.22 This study relied on bombing statistics supplied by 21Cardboard containers were used in 61 percent of pyrotechnic bombing incidents in which the container was reported, and metal pipes were used for 62 percent of smokeless and black powder bombing incidents in which the container was reported, according to ATE data for 1992-1994.
|
From page 29... ...
All Federal agencies having information concerning such incidents shall report the information to the Secretary pursuant to such regulations as deemed necessary to carry out the provisions of this subsection...." The Uniform Federal Crime Reporting Act of 1988 states that the "Attorney General may designate the Federal Bureau of Investigation as the lead agency" to "acquire, collect, classify, and preserve national data on Federal criminal offenses as part of the Uniform Crime Reports." 24For instance, the number of actual and attempted bombings involving black and smokeless powders in 1995 as reported by the ATF was 286 (ATF, 1997) , while the FBI reported 624 (written materials from Gregory Carl, FBI)
|
From page 30... ...
. black and smokeless powders remained relatively constant, averaging 653 per year.
|
From page 31... ...
Accordingly, the data in Table 1.1 were examined in order to select the actual bombings that caused at least one death, one injury, or a minimum of $1,000 in property damage. In addition, attempted bombings aimed at significantly targets were included.30 These significant actual and attempted bombing incidents involving black and smokeless powders are presented in Table 1.2.
|
From page 32... ...
SOURCE: Adapted from data received from the ATF. TABLE 1.3 Significant Actual and Attempted Bombings Involving Devices Using Pyrotechnics or Fireworks Number of Incidents Deaths .
|
From page 33... ...
Table 1.4 shows the sites at which bombs involving black powder, smokeless powder, or pyrotechnic fillers were targeted in the years 1992-1994 and the deaths and injuries caused at those sites. The targets can be grouped into three categories, depending on the feasibility of deploying bomb detection systems for routine screening at those locations.
|
From page 34... ...
Another factor that affects the ability to detect explosive devices using black and smokeless powders is the method by which the bombers deliver the devices to their targets. According to ATF data, the predominant method of delivery for black and smokeless powder bombs is hand placement, which was used in at least 66 percent of the 812 significant incidents that occurred in 1992-1994 (for 22 percent of the incidents, no delivery mechanism was reported)
|
From page 35... ...
Typically over the past 5 years, about 300 "significant" bombing incidents have involved black or smokeless powder, and these bombings caused on the order of 10 deaths, 100 injuries, and $1 million in property damage annually.35 Although the number of incidents attributed to terrorism is currently very low in the range of one or two incidents per year the committee notes that when bombing incidents are acts of terrorism, the target is larger than the physical location of the explosion, since a goal is to induce panic or fear among the general population. Recent examples of terrorist acts that used black and smokeless powders include the bombings of the Unabomber and the knapsack bombing in Centennial Park, Atlanta, during the 1996 Olympics.
|
From page 36... ...
is authorized to establish a national repository of information on incidents involving arson and the suspected criminal misuse of explosives. All Federal agencies having information concerning such incidents shall report the information to the secretary pursuant to such regulations as deemed necessary to carry out the provisions of this subsection...." The Uniform Federal crime Reporting Act of 1988 states that the ``Attorney General may designate the Federal Bureau of Investigation as the lead agency to ``acquire, collect, classify, and preserve national data on Federal criminal offenses as part of the Uniform crime Reports.~,
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.