Technion researchers have developed a unique device that identifies improvised explosives, the kind commonly used by terrorist organizations. The device, named Peroxide Explosive Tester (PET), resembles a three-colour roller pen. It releases three chemical mixtures that chnage colour upon interaction with the suspected material.
The PET inventor, Professor Ehud Keinan, Dean of the Technion's Faculty of Chemistry, talking about new findings concerning the explosive triacetone-triperoxide (TATP) says :-
"To our great surprise, we discovered that TATP is very different from all the other conventional explosives in that it does not release heat during the explosion. It explodes by rapid decomposition of every solid-state molecule to four gas-phase molecules. This rare phenomenon, scientifically known as "Entropic Explosion", is reminiscent of the rapid reaction that prodcues gas in the safety air-bags of cars during accidents."
Professor Keinan revealed these new results at the annual symposium of the Technion Centre for Security Science and Technology. During that conference, he was awarded first prize in a competition for the development of counter-terror technologies.
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