Form Approved
REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE
OMB No. 0704-0188
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1. AGENCY USE ONLY (Leave blank)
2. REPORT DATE
3. REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED
April 1997
4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE
5. FUNDING NUMBERS
Detecting Metallic Primary Explosives with a
Portable X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometer
6. AUTHORS
Alan D. Hewitt
7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES)
8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION
REPORT NUMBER
U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory
72 Lyme Road
Special Report 97-8
Hanover, New Hampshire 03755-1290
9. SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES)
10. SPONSORING/MONITORING
AGENCY REPORT NUMBER
U.S. Army Environmental Center
Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland 21010-5401
AEC-ET-CR97004
11. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES
For conversion of SI units to non-SI units of measurement consult Standard Practice for Use of the Interna-
tional System of Units (SI), ASTM Standard E380-93, published by the American Society for Testing and
Materials, 1916 Race St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19103.
12a. DISTRIBUTION/AVAILABILITY STATEMENT
12b. DISTRIBUTION CODE
Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
Available from NTIS, Springfield, Virginia 22161.
13. ABSTRACT (Maximum 200 words)
X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) analysis is a practical means of performing in-situ screening to estab-
lish the presence of high concentrations (>0.1% or 1000 ppm) of lead (Pb) and/or mercury (Hg). These two
metals are of special military interest because they are constituents in three primary explosives; lead azide
[Pb(N3)2], lead styphnate (C6HO6N3Pb), and mercury fulminate [Hg(CNO)2]. The success of in-situ XRF
analysis to perform this task depends on instrumental sensitivity, selectivity, effective sample volume, trans-
portability, and user friendliness. Laboratory experiments established that the MAP-3 XRF spectrum analyzer
(SCITEC Corporation) is well-suited for this application. This instrument is self-contained, portable, and
equipped with a Co-57 source that allows for a simultaneous analysis of both the K and L energy lines of Pb
and Hg, among other metals. Laboratory experiments established that high concentrations of Pb and Hg
could be detected in an active sample area of cylindrical shape, approximately 1.0 cm in diameter and 1.5 cm
in depth.
14. SUBJECT TERMS
15. NUMBER OF PAGES
X-ray fluorescence spectrometer
15
Lead
XRF
16. PRICE CODE
Mercury
Primary explosives
17. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
18. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
19. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
20. LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT
OF REPORT
OF THIS PAGE
OF ABSTRACT
UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
UL
Standard Form 298 (Rev. 2-89)
NSN 7540-01-280-5500
Prescribed by ANSI Std. Z39-18
298-102
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