Abstract
The detonation of high explosives produces a wide variety of particulate matter (PM) with distinct properties, not all of which are traditionally studied for chemical composition, formation processes, and forensic applications. We report particle-resolved measurements of Composition B detonation soot using soot particle aerosol mass spectrometry (SP-AMS), identifying carbonaceous species and metals not previously characterized on a single-particle basis. Results are combined with scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) to enhance source-dependent signatures. Black carbon, including graphitic carbon and detonation nanodiamonds, contributed 50.5-71.4% of PM2.5 mass, while 22.5-43.4% was non-refractory organic carbon, a previously overlooked component that exhibited a complex and varying composition. Detonations were performed with and without PMMA confinement and under steady and overdriven conditions. Distinct particles enriched with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were observed in experiments utilizing confinement, with quantities dependent on manufacturing method. SEM-EDS validated SP-AMS findings of metals internally mixed with carbonaceous species and extended the particle size range to 100 µm. This work makes detecting non-refractory organics using single-particle techniques more feasible for detonation forensics and understanding high-energy soot formation. While this analysis uses offline sample collection, SP-AMS could be deployed for in-situ measurements of detonation PM2.5 transported in the atmosphere.
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Data availability
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. The SQUIRREL and PIKA toolkits are available at https://cires1.colorado.edu/jimenez-group/ToFAMSResources/ToFSoftware/index.html71.
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Acknowledgements
The authors thank Kirill Velizhanin and Bryce Tappan for discussions and advice on detonation soot production and analysis. We thank David Podlesak, Ron Armato, Pat Bowden, John Gibson, Ritchie Chicas, Eric Anderson, and the LANL M-Division detonation team for shot assembly and detonation support. We thank Donna Sueper for SP-AMS data processing software support. Research presented in this article was supported by the Laboratory Directed Research and Development program of Los Alamos National Laboratory under project number (LANL No. 20230257ER, PI Aiken). Los Alamos National Laboratory is operated by Triad National Security, LLC for the National Nuclear Security Administration of the U.S. Department of Energy under contract No. 89233218CNA000001.
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A.C.A., R.C.H., and M.A.S. conceived and directed the project. A.C.A., R.C.H., M.A.S., and J.E.L. designed the detonation experiments and sampling procedures. J.E.L., R.C.H., and A.C.A. collected samples. R.N.F. designed the aerosol data analysis procedure, performed SP-AMS measurements, and performed data analysis. K.N.W. performed SEM-EDS measurements and data processing. R.N.F. prepared the manuscript with input from all co-authors. All authors reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript.
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Farley, R.N., Lee, J.E., Huber, R.C. et al. Single-particle chemical analysis reveals organic-rich detonation soot products. Commun Chem (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42004-025-01879-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s42004-025-01879-3
