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Pentaerythritol, PETN, ID'ed As Explosive Used Aboard Flight 253

by Yuliya Talmazan | December 26, 2009 at 04:20 pm

4943 views | 38 Recommendations | 6 comments

Pentaerythritol was identified as the explosive substance used by the alleged Nigerian terror suspect Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab. Pentaerythritol is a white solid that is a building block for the PETN (pentaerythritol tetranitrate), one of the most powerful explosives known. PETN was the explosive also used by the infamous "shoe bomber" Richard Reid who is serving a life sentence for the terror attack attempt on American Airlines Flight 63. It is being reported Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab was in possession of about 80 grams of PETN, but the detonator has failed.

To produce PETN, one has to mix pentaerythritol with a mixture of concentrated nitric and sulfuric acids. It makes it likely that the liquid in the syringe that Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab was trying to inject into his groin area that contained pentaerythritol was the acid mixture. It is alleged Mutallab was trying to carry out the reaction underneath a blanket that he obtained after complaining of stomach pain.

BreakingNews has reported that a detailed document issued by the U.S. authorities with what happened on board Flight 253 and the consequent actions taken against Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab was posted by NBC. See the link below.

NBC posts PDF file of U.S. charges against suspect in attempt to blow up airliner. http://bit.ly/6vPnsr

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Uwe Paschen

at 17:49 on December 26th, 2009

I am flying on a regular basis for work and I am always checked rather well by security, I have never been allowed even a lighter to carry on board with me nor any drink or other fluid or powder...

This all seems strange to be able to pass all this through security and not been checked, especially in Amsterdam.

Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke

at 17:58 on December 26th, 2009

His flight originated in Nigeria. He transferred from what i understand in Amsterdam. I have flown out of Bosnia through Frankfurt and wasn't checked again to go on a flight to Canada. Obviously they found a loophole, used it and almost got away with it. I'm sure there will be significant changes made because of this incident. Flying just ain't the fun it used to be and it will be worse now.

Sitting in your seat for an hour prior to landing will almost be equal to torture on this old body of mine.

john en (not verified)

at 02:14 on December 27th, 2009

Till we do ethnic profiling, we are going to get more of this. Denying ethnic profiling is flying in the face of reality just to be ' Politically Correct' and risk the lives of millions of ordinary passengers. Why should the majority jeopardise their lives for some obscure 'Politically Correct' fabian idea

Ratamacue (not verified)

at 17:35 on December 27th, 2009

Please do some fact checking before posting such false news. The explosive is PentaErythritol TetraNitrate, not simply pentaerythritol. I'm a chemist and work with pentaerythritol about once per month. It is a harmless molecule related to erythrose, a natural carbohydrate.

Another chemist (not verified)

at 17:59 on December 27th, 2009

If you read the article carefully, it states that the suspect was trying to inject the nitric/sulfuric acid mixture into the pentaerythritol thus causing the nitration reaction that would produce the pentaerythritol tetranitrate