Acetone peroxide (triacetone triperoxide, peroxyacetone, TATP, TCAP) is an organic peroxide and a primary high explosive. It takes the form of a white crystalline powder with a distinctive acrid smell.It is highly susceptible to heat, friction, and shock. For its instability, it has been called the “Mother of Satan”.^[1] It has perhaps sprung into notoriety due to its alleged use in the July 2005 London bombings and has also been reported as the explosive favored by suspects arrested on August 10, 2006 who allegedly intended to destroy airplanes flying from the United Kingdom to the United States.^[2]

Many people have been killed or permanently injured by accidents with acetone peroxide. It is widely used by people who want to make homemade explosives because of its low cost and ease of manufacture. They may be unaware of its extreme sensitivity; or they make it anyway because it is cheap and can be made in a refrigerator.

There is a common myth that the only “safe” acetone peroxide is the trimer, made at low temperatures: “The mixture must be kept below 10 degrees Celsius. If the crystals form at this temperature, it forms the isomer called tricycloacetone peroxide, which is relatively stable and safe to handle. If the crystals form above this temperature, the dimerric form, called dicycloacetone peroxide. This isomer is much more unstable, and could go off at the touch, making it not safe enough to be considered a practical explosive. As long as the temperature is kept below 10 degrees Celsius, then there is little to worry about.” [1] In reality, the acid-catalyzed peroxidation of acetone always produces a mixture of dimeric and trimeric forms.

The trimer is the more stable form, but not much more so than the dimer. All forms of acetone peroxide are very sensitive to initiation. Organic peroxides are sensitive, dangerous explosives. The military does not use them because there are many much better alternatives. Even for people who synthesize homemade explosives, there are many far safer alternatives. Even nitroglycerin is not nearly as sensitive as acetone peroxide.

TATP has been identified in explosive devices in a number of cases involving jihadist terrorists. Richard Reid, who attempted to down American Airlines Flight 63 with a bomb concealed in his shoe, employed a device containing plastic explosive with a TATP trigger.^[9] It is also believed that acetone peroxide was used as the explosive in the 7 July 2005 London bombings.^[10] On September 5, 2006, homemade TATP was found during the arrest of seven suspected terrorists in Vollsmose, a neighborhood in the Danish city Odense.^[11] In addition, the participants in the 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot may have planned to use TATP as the liquid bombs, mixed in airplane lavatories, that would destroy U.S. airliners flying from London to the United States.^[12] Nevertheless, some reports suggest that such bombs would not have been very effective, due to the supplies needed, the smell mixing would create, and the time it would take to prepare without drawing suspicion from passengers and the flight crew.^[13]

Acetone peroxide (triacetone triperoxide, peroxyacetone, TATP, TCAP) is an organic peroxide and a primary high explosive. It takes the form of a white crystalline powder with a distinctive acrid smell.It is highly susceptible to heat, friction, and shock. For its instability, it has been called the “Mother of Satan”.^[1] It has perhaps sprung into notoriety due to its alleged use in the July 2005 London bombings and has also been reported as the explosive favored by suspects arrested on August 10, 2006 who allegedly intended to destroy airplanes flying from the United Kingdom to the United States.^[2]

Many people have been killed or permanently injured by accidents with acetone peroxide. It is widely used by people who want to make homemade explosives because of its low cost and ease of manufacture. They may be unaware of its extreme sensitivity; or they make it anyway because it is cheap and can be made in a refrigerator.

There is a common myth that the only “safe” acetone peroxide is the trimer, made at low temperatures: “The mixture must be kept below 10 degrees Celsius. If the crystals form at this temperature, it forms the isomer called tricycloacetone peroxide, which is relatively stable and safe to handle. If the crystals form above this temperature, the dimerric form, called dicycloacetone peroxide. This isomer is much more unstable, and could go off at the touch, making it not safe enough to be considered a practical explosive. As long as the temperature is kept below 10 degrees Celsius, then there is little to worry about.” [1] In reality, the acid-catalyzed peroxidation of acetone always produces a mixture of dimeric and trimeric forms.

The trimer is the more stable form, but not much more so than the dimer. All forms of acetone peroxide are very sensitive to initiation. Organic peroxides are sensitive, dangerous explosives. The military does not use them because there are many much better alternatives. Even for people who synthesize homemade explosives, there are many far safer alternatives. Even nitroglycerin is not nearly as sensitive as acetone peroxide.

TATP has been identified in explosive devices in a number of cases involving jihadist terrorists. Richard Reid, who attempted to down American Airlines Flight 63 with a bomb concealed in his shoe, employed a device containing plastic explosive with a TATP trigger.^[9] It is also believed that acetone peroxide was used as the explosive in the 7 July 2005 London bombings.^[10] On September 5, 2006, homemade TATP was found during the arrest of seven suspected terrorists in Vollsmose, a neighborhood in the Danish city Odense.^[11] In addition, the participants in the 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot may have planned to use TATP as the liquid bombs, mixed in airplane lavatories, that would destroy U.S. airliners flying from London to the United States.^[12] Nevertheless, some reports suggest that such bombs would not have been very effective, due to the supplies needed, the smell mixing would create, and the time it would take to prepare without drawing suspicion from passengers and the flight crew.^[13]