“…the most commonly known hydrogen peroxide explosive used by terrorists is Triacetone Triperoxide or TATP…”
Nitroglycerin
The first liquid explosive, Nitroglycerin (NG), was invented in 1846 by an Italian chemist named Ascanio Sobrero, who nitrated glycerin with a solution that contained nitric acid and sulphuric acid.
Given the sensitive nature of NG, it was difficult to safely manufacture and transport it, causing frequent accidents that claimed the lives of many who had to handle NG. The key problem is adiabatic compression which can occur when NG is in even slight motion; tiny bubbles may occur, which can then be further compressed and this compression can lead to a localised and temporary temperature and pressure increase. If these temperature and pressure increases are severe enough, the NG may detonate as a result of even a relatively small movement. By the 1860s Alfred Nobel managed to reduce the
inherent high sensitivity of NG by mixing it with a solid additive such as Kaisal Gohr-type clay, which could absorb the liquid explosive. This was known as NG-based dynamite. NG typically appears as a colourless to pale-yellow, viscous liquid at 1.59 gr/cm³ density. The most famous case of terrorists using NG was on 11 December 1994 when a bomb exploded on board Philippine Airlines flight 434 from Manila via Cebu to Narita, Japan, during its second leg. Al-Qaeda terrorist Ramzi Yousef (who boarded under an assumed name) assembled the device in the lavatory, using a small quantity of NG concealed in a bottle of contact lens fluid, before eventually concealing it under seat 26K. The digital timer was set to explode four hours after he left the plane at Cebu and two hours before arrival at Tokyo; the bomb exploded while the aircraft was at 31,000 feet above Minami Island. The explosion tore out a small portion of the cabin floor but the fuselage of the aircraft stayed intact. A young Japanese businessman was killed and 10 passengers were injured.
This attack is believed to have been in preparation for a much larger operation called Operation Bojinka which terrorists Yousef and Khalid Sheikh Mohamed planned to carry out in 1995. The plan involved five al-Qaeda operatives who, between 21 January 1995 and 22 January 1995, would set bombs on 11 U.S- bound airliners with stopovers all around East Asia and Southeast Asia. The bombs were planned to be NG planted inside life jackets
16 Download your FREE ASI "iPad/iPhone APP" NOW NG Liquid (above) and chemical make-up (bottom left)
Nitromethane Nitromethane was developed in 1872 for a variety of chemical uses in solvents, detergents and even as fuel for motor racing, particularly drag racing, as well as for rockets and radio-controlled models (such as cars, planes and helicopters). It is used widely in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals, pesticides, explosives, fibres and coatings.
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..the bombs would have exploded when the flights were over the Pacific Ocean and South China Sea, almost simultaneously killing about 4000 people…”
Nitromethane was not considered a liquid explosive until a railroad tanker car loaded with it exploded on 1 June 1958. The investigation revealed that Nitromethane was a more energetic explosive than TNT and that the explosion likely occurred due to adiabatic compression. It was thought that an operator rapidly snapped shut a valve creating a 'hammer-lock' pressure surge which led to the explosion. Nitromethane is a slightly viscous liquid (density of 1.14 gr/cm³) that is produced industrially by treating Propane with Nitric acid at 350–450°C (622–842 °F). This exothermic reaction produces several industrially significant materials including Nitromethane and Nitroethane. A small amount of Hydrazine blended in Nitromethane can increase its power even further and often it can form an explosive salt which is why this unstable mixture poses a severe safety hazard, and is forbidden for use in model aircraft fuels.
April 2012 Aviationsecurityinternational
under seats on the first leg of each flight, and each bomber would then disembark and board another flight and repeat the exercise.
The bombs would have exploded when the flights
were over the Pacific Ocean and South China Sea, almost simultaneously killing about 4000 people and shutting down air travel worldwide for weeks.
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