As if police officers didn’t have enough problems, the threat of high-powered explosives continues to grow as terrorists (home-grown and international) become more adept at synthesizing dangerous chemical compounds. Becoming familiar with some of the precursors to home made explosives can increase your own safety, and help prevent a deadly terrorism incident in your own jurisdiction.
Peroxide-based explosives, or the hydrogen peroxide bomb, can be made into liquid or solid explosives using things reasonably available things. If you will reach back to your high school chemistry class, you may recall that hydrogen peroxide is an oxidizer.
Mixing concentrated hydrogen peroxide (CHP) with a fuel can create a liquid explosive. Fuels such as acetone and ethanol may be used, but even things like black pepper and sugary drink powders can be used. Different fuels mixed with varying concentrations of CHP can create explosives that range from high energy to low energy.
Liquid peroxide-based explosives have been used in a variety of international terrorist incidents, the highest profile being the attacks on the London transit system in 2005. The terrorists in the foiled 2006 plot to blow up several airplanes were also planning on using liquid peroxide-based bombs.
Two different solid peroxide-based explosives can be synthesized from liquid peroxide explosives. They are triacetonetriperoxide (TATP) and hexamethylene triperoxide diamine (HMTD). Both of these compounds are very dangerous to make, handle, and use, as they detonate very easily. Keep this in mind should you ever stumble across someone who might be mixing this stuff up. Due to its unstable nature, it has been nicknamed the “Mother of Satan.”
TATP is normally seen as crystals, and HMTD is seen as powder.
TATP and HMTD have been used in a myriad of explosions such as:
- an alleged member of the Glass Dessert Underground anarchist group who died in an explosion while making TATP in July 2006 in Texas
- a University of Oklahoma student died while carrying TATP that exploded outside a college football game in October 2005
- a man was convicted in 2002 of making HMTD in an apparent attempt to commit acts of terror in in the UK
- the “Millennium Bomber” had, among other explosives, HMTD in his possession as part of his planned attack on LAX
So, while I won’t tell you how to mix this stuff up yourself to make a hydrogen peroxide bomb, I will tell you a few things you should pay attention to while on traffic stops, or when you are in someone’s home. If you run into something you suspect may be one of these nasty substances, back off and call the guys in the funny suits.
Chemicals to watch for:
- hydrogen peroxide antiseptic
- hair coloring
- wood bleach
- acetone
- ethanol
- nitro methane
- sulfuric acid
- citric acid
- haxamine (solid fuel for camp stoves)
Indicators of manufacturing:
- foul odors/caustic fumes
- paint discoloration
- metal corrosion
- structural damage
- strong chemical odors from exterior drains/sewers
- multiple fans in multiple windows
- dead vegetation
- refrigerators and coolers
Stay safe!
KARTOESHA says
be the first to comment. NOPE.
Bama Bill says
These sound like they are slightly similar to the hypergolic fuel used by the Nazi’s. I use most of the ingredients, and wouldn’t think of mixing them. I suspect shooting the bomb best be done at long range?
I watched a suicide bomber blow himself up once, his body parts covered most of the football field!
suicide bomber says
Oof
Aaron E says
Explosives are the second most hated threat on the job for me. Knives are still #1.
In my first year I got called to ensure some antique firearms were safe for the movers (old guy passed away and family hired movers). The basement was full of hand grenades, land mines, folding-fin rockets, 100’s of heavy caliber rounds, and a fully armed 105mm artillery round. When the Army EOD guys showed up they were laughing thinking us local cops had a .50 caliber round we were scared of. When the Staff Sergeant saw the basement I’m pretty sure he soiled himself.
In another incident a convicted felon decided to threaten officers trying to resolve a barricaded subject across the street. When we went to take him into custody he came out of his room with a hand grenade. He took 3 of 5 9mm rounds from an MP-5 burst from our point man, for the dud grenade.
Then there was the most significant explosives event I’ve experienced. The HIDTA task force I was a part of was checking a residence suspected of having an active meth lab. Thankfully we disabled his cameras. This guy’s group had broken into a National Guard Armory and stolen a Claymore mine. He ended up pointing the Claymore at his meth lab – an entire 2-car garage, using a 75L flask and 55-gallon drums of chemicals stolen from a pharmaceutical supply company. He couldn’t see the detectives in the back yard behind trees, and tried to flee. The explosion blew the roof of the garage off, and the resulting fire burned the 2-story house to the ground in about 15-minutes. There was an intense gunfight, before he was apprehended. In his hey day he had been making 10 pounds of meth each week.
Richard says
Speaking of knives… https://www.bluesheepdog.com/2012/06/20/edged-weapons-dismiss-them-at-your-own-peril/
Robert says
When my mom and dad moved into their first house around 1966, my nan was stood at the back door while they cleared up the back garden. My mom spotted/dug up something near the ditch and wondering what it was, picked it up. From about thirty feet away, my mom asked loudly, “what’s this?” As she held it up and turned it around in her hand, she looked at my nan who stared at it and then when my mom shrieked and dropped it, because there was a spider on it, she looked up to see the blur of movement that was my nan!
It turned out to be a WW2 Mills grenade. It was deactivated. The hole where the charge should have been was where the spider had been living until mom picked it up. She swears that she’d never seen ANYONE move so fast, let alone my nan.
They took it to the local police station who refused to let them keep it, despite being totally explosive free and harmless!
Rachel Elorriaga says
I just did a quick search using “citric acid, hydrogen peroxide and zinc” to see if I was at risk for any side effects in consuming a mineral supplement and know the body can produce hydrogen peroxide plus citric acid is an additive in a lot……spontaneous human combustion was not what I was thinking could be a possibility.
Aaron says
Rachel unfortunately you would be surprised how many household chemicals can be used for nefarious reasons!