A novel odor delivery device for homemade explosive analysis

A novel odor delivery device was designed to safely contain the solid or liquid components of homemade explosives (HMEs) and deliver the HME odor signature for passive or active sampling. Within the device, odors from the separately-housed components mix as they move through the device towards the outlet. The resulting mixed odor is representative of that which would be achieved from the actual mixed explosive material. For active sampling, air flows from an external source, through the device, carrying the mixed analyte odor towards the instrument of choice. For passive sampling, component odor diffuses from the bulk material through a Teflon neck, where odors mix before exiting the device at a bowl-shaped outlet. Both active and passive transport devices have been tested with surrogate components as well as actual explosive components and have been shown to deliver the mixed odor of separated components.