ICAO Montreal Protocol on Plastic Explosives (1991)
Definition
The Convention on the Marking of Plastic Explosives for the Purpose of Detection, adopted by ICAO following the Lockerbie and UTA bombings. Requires all plastic explosives to contain an approved detection agent (taggant, primarily DMDNB) at minimum concentration to enable IMS airport screening detection.
Related terms
- Brisance (Shattering Power)
- The localised shattering effect of a detonation shock wave, measured by the Trauzl lead block test or the sand-crush test. RDX and...
- C-4
- US military standard plastic explosive containing approximately 91% RDX in a di(2-ethylhexyl)sebacate and polyisobutylene binder. White, odourless, malleable. Detonation velocity 8,050 m/s....
- Composition B (Comp B)
- A secondary high explosive formulation of 60% RDX and 40% TNT by mass, melt-cast from the TNT matrix. Used in artillery shells,...
- Detonating Cord (Det Cord)
- A flexible tube containing a PETN explosive core at a standard linear charge density (3.6 g/m for No. 2 cord). Propagates detonation...
- DMDNB
- 2,3-Dimethyl-2,3-dinitrobutane, the primary detection taggant mandated by the 1991 ICAO Convention on the Marking of Plastic Explosives. Required at 0.1% by mass...
- GC-ECD
- Gas chromatography with electron capture detection. Achieves 1-10 picogram detection limits for nitroaromatic (TNT, DNT) and nitramine (RDX, HMX, PETN) explosives. Cannot...
- LC-MS/MS (Negative ESI)
- Liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry in negative-ion electrospray ionisation mode. Confirmatory method for all conventional secondary explosives and the primary method...
- Oxygen Balance
- A percentage expressing the surplus or deficit of oxygen in an explosive molecule relative to stoichiometric complete oxidation of carbon to CO2...
- Semtex H
- A plastic explosive manufactured by Explosia a.s. (Czech Republic) containing approximately 41% PETN and 41% RDX in a styrene-butadiene rubber binder. Identified...
Explained in
- Conventional High Explosives: TNT, RDX, PETN, HMX, Composition B, C-4 and SemtexThe Convention on the Marking of Plastic Explosives for the Purpose of Detection, adopted by ICAO following the Lockerbie and UTA bombings. Requires all plasti...