EGDN (Ethylene Glycol Dinitrate)
Definition
A volatile nitrate ester component of dynamite-type commercial explosives. Its high vapour pressure and long soil migration distance make it a reliable post-blast indicator of commercial blasting gelatine even at distances of tens of metres from the blast seat.
- Class
- Nitrate ester explosive component
- Common source
- Dynamite-type commercial blasting gelatine
- Key property
- High vapour pressure, long soil migration
- Forensic use
- Post-blast residue indicator
Common questions
Why is EGDN useful as a post-blast indicator when other components are not?+
Its high vapour pressure lets it migrate through soil and air well beyond the crater, so trace amounts can be recovered tens of metres from the seat of the blast, whereas less volatile co-formulated ingredients stay closer to the explosion site.
Does finding EGDN alone confirm the explosive type?+
Not by itself. EGDN is usually reported alongside nitroglycerin and other nitrate esters because commercial gelatine dynamites contain a mixture, and the combined profile is what supports a specific product identification rather than a single compound.
Related terms
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- ENFSI FEL Network
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- Selected Reaction Monitoring (SRM)
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- SEM-EDX
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- SWGMAT
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