Summary

Description

The Energetic Materials Analysis Laboratory is a recognized leader in the field of energetic materials chemistry and provides support to the tri-services, other government agencies (FBI, DEA), approved foreign governments, academia, and private industry through analysis and testing in support of development of new ammunition, qualification of energetic material used in DoD munitions, life-cycle testing of fielded munitions, development of demilitarization and disposal processes, and investigations of field malfunctions. The extensive test and evaluation capabilities of the lab play a key role in ensuring material quality and ordnance reliability. State of the art laboratories and instrumentation are used for the characterization and assay of new explosive compounds, MIL-STD, NAVSEAS, and STANAG qualification, exploitation of foreign ammunition, compatibility of energetic and ammunition components, methods development, and investigations of manufacturing deficiencies, malfunctions, accidents, bombings, and criminal fraud. The laboratory consists of a physical properties laboratory, a thermal properties laboratory, a metals laboratory, a wet chemistry laboratory, and an instrumental laboratory for both organic and inorganic analyses. Instruments include GC-MS, DSC, TGA, FTIR, ICP-AES, Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy, Reaction Rate Calorimeter, Accelerated Rate Calorimetry, High Performance Liquid Chromatography, Karl Fischer Automated Titrator, and Ion Chromatography. With our qualified staff of chemists, scientists, and technicians, EMAL can provide a wide variety of on-site sampling and testing services. Whether the situation calls for using a state-of-the-art portable instrumentation or downloading and obtaining a representative sample from a munition, EMAL possesses the personnel, equipment and expertise to perform routine or highly specialized sampling and testing services. With more than 70 years of experience in responding to emergencies involving energetic materials, EMAL has the capability of identifying unknown substances in hours not days.