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Octane 0.703 g/cm^2 Acetone 0.7845 Water 0.99834 Hydrogen peroxide 1.1 (30%) - 1.450 (pure) There is basically no way to synthesize PETN or TATP in-flight o

Octane 0.703 g/cm^2 Acetone 0.7845 Water 0.99834 Hydrogen peroxide 1.1 (30%) - 1.450 (pure) There is basically no way to synthesize PETN or TATP in-flight on a plane. It's only the cargo culting security theater of "liquids bad" because dumb, failed terrorists tried to use liquids in their explosives incorrectly in ways that don't make sense from a chemistry perspective. There are few liquids that would be a problem. I'd be worried most about mercury and aluminum alloy fuselages and binary explosives in improvised pressure vessels.

everforward 2y ago
I’ve always been a little curious about how well the TSA detects tannerite (a binary explosive typically used for target shooting at ranges where you can’t see holes in paper). I don’t think it’s particularly potent, but a pound of it will blow a hole in the dirt and a bucket of it will demolish a car (thanks for that tidbit, Moonshiners and FPSRussia). No idea how much it takes to be problematic on a plane, and I don’t intend to Google it lol. I was curious because it’s pedestrian as far as explosives go. Bass Pro Shops and Cabellas both sell it, and are happy to sell it in fairly large quantities. I think I bought 10 pounds last time I was there (20 explosive targets iirc) and no one batted an eye.
- hi-v-rocknroll 2y ago
  Tannerite's oxidizer, containing AN and AP, are both easily identified in airports because they contain ammonium which contains nitrogen. Alkanes like butane, propane, gasoline, and other naptha-like products would also be pretty bad on an airplane too because they could incapacitate people and create a catastrophic explosion if quickly dispersed at a high enough concentration and ignited. It would take probably a kilo or more and lots of energy to vaporize it bring down a plane from a vapor explosion.

everforward 2y ago

I’ve always been a little curious about how well the TSA detects tannerite (a binary explosive typically used for target shooting at ranges where you can’t see holes in paper). I don’t think it’s particularly potent, but a pound of it will blow a hole in the dirt and a bucket of it will demolish a car (thanks for that tidbit, Moonshiners and FPSRussia). No idea how much it takes to be problematic on a plane, and I don’t intend to Google it lol. I was curious because it’s pedestrian as far as explosives go. Bass Pro Shops and Cabellas both sell it, and are happy to sell it in fairly large quantities. I think I bought 10 pounds last time I was there (20 explosive targets iirc) and no one batted an eye.

hi-v-rocknroll 2y ago
Tannerite's oxidizer, containing AN and AP, are both easily identified in airports because they contain ammonium which contains nitrogen. Alkanes like butane, propane, gasoline, and other naptha-like products would also be pretty bad on an airplane too because they could incapacitate people and create a catastrophic explosion if quickly dispersed at a high enough concentration and ignited. It would take probably a kilo or more and lots of energy to vaporize it bring down a plane from a vapor explosion.