Black and Smokeless Powders: Technologies for Finding Bombs and the Bomb Makers [Paperback]

Committee on Smokeless and Black Powder (Author), National Research Council (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 29, 1998

Some 600 pipe bomb explosions have occurred annually in the United States during the past several years. How can technology help protect the public from these homemade devices? This book, a response to a Congressional mandate, focuses on ways to improve public safety by preventing bombings involving smokeless or black powders and apprehending the makers of the explosive devices. It examines technologies used for detection of explosive devices before they explode - including the possible addition of marking agents to the powders - and technologies used in criminal investigations for identification of these powders - including the possible addition of taggants to the powders - in the context of current technical capabilities. The book offers general conclusions and recommendations about the detection of devices containing smokeless and black powders and the feasibility of identifying makers of the devices from recovered powder or residue. It also makes specific recommendations about marking and tagging technologies. This volume follows the work reported in "Containing the Threat from Illegal Bombings" (NRC 1998), which studied similar issues for bombings that utilize high explosives.

Editorial Reviews

Book Description

Some 600 pipe bomb explosions have occurred annually in the United States during the past several years. How can technology help protect the public from these homemade devices?

This book, a response to a Congressional mandate, focuses on ways to improve public safety by preventing bombings involving smokeless or black powders and apprehending the makers of the explosive devices. It examines technologies used for detection of explosive devices before they explode--including the possible addition of marking agents to the powders--and technologies used in criminal investigations for identification of these powders--including the possible addition of taggants to the powders--in the context of current technical capabilities.

The book offers general conclusions and recommendations about the detection of devices containing smokeless and black powders and the feasibility of identifying makers of the devices from recovered powder or residue. It also makes specific recommendations about marking and tagging technologies. This volume follows the work reported in Containing the Threat from Illegal Bombings (NRC 1998), which studied similar issues for bombings that utilize high explosives.

About the Author

Committee on Smokeless and Black Powder, National Research Council

Product Details

• Paperback: 180 pages
• Publisher: National Academies Press (December 29, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0309062462
• ISBN-13: 978-0309062466
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,764,705 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Looks better than it reads, June 3, 2003

By 

Shawn Hughes "still prefers paper to pdf" (near Oak Ridge, Tenn.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Black and Smokeless Powders: Technologies for Finding Bombs and the Bomb Makers (Paperback)

This book purports to be about technologies for finding bombs, but actually is a vehicle to discuss the current state of the art in additives ( called 'taggants') to the zillion pounds of the various black and smokless powders manufactured yearly.

It actually has some value as a reference guide, and does state correctly that taggants should not be implemented.