Ignitable Liquid Reference Collection (ILRC)
Definition
A database of GC-MS chromatographic data for over 1,100 ignitable liquid products maintained by the National Centre for Forensic Science at the University of Central Florida. Used as the reference library for pattern matching under ASTM E1618.
- Content
- GC-MS data for over 1,100 ignitable liquid products
- Maintained by
- National Center for Forensic Science, University of Central Florida
- Governing standard
- ASTM E1618 pattern matching
- Use
- Reference library for classifying fire debris residues
Common questions
Why does an analyst need a reference collection this large just to identify one accelerant?+
Commercial products such as gasoline, lighter fluid, and paint thinner vary by brand, refinery, and formulation, so their chromatographic fingerprints differ in detail even within the same ASTM E1618 class. A large, curated reference set lets an examiner confirm a class assignment against genuine product variation rather than a single idealised profile.
Does a match to the ILRC identify the specific brand of product used?+
Not usually. ASTM E1618 classification identifies the general class of ignitable liquid, such as gasoline or a medium petroleum distillate, based on chromatographic pattern. Pinning down an exact commercial brand is far harder because weathering and evaporation during a fire can alter the profile.
Related terms
- ASTM E1618
- Standard Test Method for Ignitable Liquid Residues in Extracts from Fire Debris Samples by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry. The active analytical standard defining...
- Carbon Disulfide (CS2)
- The standard elution solvent for activated charcoal strips in ASTM E1412 passive headspace analysis. Selected for its low UV absorption, minimal GC-FID...
- Evaporative Weathering
- The preferential loss of volatile components (benzene, toluene, C5-C7 alkanes) from an ignitable liquid residue during and after a fire, altering the...
- Extracted Ion Profile (EIP)
- A GC-MS chromatographic display plotting only ions of a specified m/z value against retention time, effectively filtering out all compounds that do...
- Light Petroleum Distillate (LPD)
- The ASTM E1618 ignitable liquid class covering C4-C9 aliphatic products (charcoal lighter fluid, camping fuel, some paint thinners). The class most frequently...
- Passive Headspace Concentration
- The ASTM E1412 method in which an activated charcoal strip is suspended in a sealed container above heated fire debris (60-80°C, 16...
- Total Ion Chromatogram (TIC)
- A GC-MS chromatographic output plotting the summed intensity of all detected ions at each retention time. Provides the full-pattern overview of a...
- Tropylium Cation (M/z 91)
- The C7H7+ fragment ion produced by rearrangement of alkylbenzenes in the EI ion source of a mass spectrometer. The diagnostic ion for...
- Unresolved Complex Mixture (UCM)
- The broad hump of hundreds of co-eluting cycloalkane and isoalkane compounds in the TIC of heavy petroleum products (diesel, heavy fuel oil,...