AccuTOF-DART® Analysis of Smokeless Powders February 23, 2020 4. Forensics, AccuTOF™ DART®, Application Note, Mass Spectrometry (MS) 0 Introduction Smokeless powders (Figure 1) are often used in improvised explosive devices. The formulations for smokeless powders vary between manufacturers and between brands from a given manufacturer; ingredients include energetics, stabilizers, plasticizers and deterrents. Chemical analysis of smokeless powders can provide valuable forensic evidence. Here we show that the AccuTOF-DART mass spectrometer can rapidly identify the organic components in smokeless powders and provide a chemical fingerprint that can be used to identify individual powder particles. Experimental The AccuTOF™ mass spectrometer was operated in positive-ion mode. Polyethylene glycol (PEG-600) was measured as a reference standard within each data file, but separate from the smokeless powder particle measurements. Individual particles sampled with vacuum tweezers were positioned in the DART gas stream for analysis (Figure 2). Disposable vacuum tweezers were constructed by passing a glass capillary through an Eppendorf pipette tip and inserting the pipette tip into a rubber hose connected to a low-vacuum pump. Data were acquired by using JEOL Mass Center software and mass spectra were processed by TSSPro3 software (Shrader Software Solutions, Detroit, MI) For full details: Attached files often contain the full content of the item you are viewing. Be sure and view any attachments. Smokeless Powder article2.pdf 581.82 KB Related Articles Analyzing a Specific Component using Group Analysis of msFineAnalysis Ver. 2 - MSTips 303 In 2018, we announced the msFineAnalysis software which was designed to automatically integrate two types of data acquired by EI and soft ionization. Recently, we developed msFineAnalysis Version 2, an enhanced version with additional features. msFineAnalysis Version 2 incorporates two new features: Chromatographic Deconvolution and Group Analysis. In this work, we use the group analysis capabilities of the software to evaluate the pyrolysis GC-MS results for a vinyl acetate resin. Integrated Analysis of an Acrylic Resin using msFineAnalysis v2 - MSTips 300 In 2018, msFineAnalysis Ver.1 software was released in which data acquired by EI, soft ionization, and accurate mass measurements were automatically integrated to generate a qualitative report for samples measured by these techniques with GC-MS. Recently, msFineAnalysis Ver.2 was introduced as an enhanced version with additional features. In this work, we will describe the changes in Ver.2, which now includes chromatographic deconvolution, and present applications using the new features. Rapid Identification of Smokeless Powders Smokeless powders are often used in improvised explosive devices. The formulations for smokeless powders vary between manufacturers and between brands from a given manufacturer; ingredients include energetics, stabilizers, plasticizers and deterrents. Both chemical composition and morphology are important in characterizing smokeless powders. Chemical analysis of smokeless powders can provide valuable forensic evidence. Observation with the SEM can reveal morphological information to help with identification. Here we show how SEM-EDS analysis can be used to identify inorganic components, and how the AccuTOF-DART mass spectrometer can rapidly identify the organic components and provide a chemical fingerprint that can be used to identify individual powder particles. Integrated Analysis of Fatty Acid Methyl Esters using msFineAnalysis v2 - MSTips 301 Fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) are crucial for determining the fat content in food. 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As the volume of information acquired from mass spectrometry increases, researchers are calling for simple techniques to analyze numerous components observed, and as a result, there is a rise in demand for comprehensive analytical techniques including multiple classification analysis. In this work, we will introduce a new technique of non-targeted analysis, which combines comprehensive analysis using high resolution GC-MS and unknown component analysis using soft ionization and EI. Comprehensive Analysis + Unknown Component Analysis of Vinyl Acetate Resins Using Pyrolysis GC-MS Advances in mass spectrometry are enabling analysis of micro samples and unknown components that were not observable before. As the volume of information acquired from mass spectrometry increases, researchers are calling for simple techniques to analyze numerous components observed, and as a result, there is a rise in demand for comprehensive analytical techniques including multiple classification analysis. In this work, we will introduce a new technique for non-target analysis, which combines comprehensive analysis using high resolution GC-TOFMS and unknown component analysis using soft ionization. Showing 0 Comment Comments are closed.