Features of the polyurethane study as a result of arson attacks

Introduction. In most cases, the attackers use combustion initiators — affordable and cheap oil products (gasoline, diesel fuel, engine oils, or their mixtures) to intensify combustion. In order to establish the cause of a criminal fire, it is necessary to determine the presence of a fire initiator at the fire site. The study has been conducted in order to establish the interfering effect of decomposition products of the carrier object on the determination of the presence of diesel fuel.
Materials and methods. Polyurethane (car upholstery), which is able to adsorb liquid on its surface, was chosen as the carrier object, and diesel fuel was used as the combustion initiator, as the most common combustion initiator. The method of fluorescence spectroscopy was used in the study process. Study results and discussion. Polyurethane samples with diesel fuel on its surface and without it were burned in a muffle furnace at temperatures from 200 to 300 °C for 5–20 min. After firing, the crushed samples were extracted, and fluorescence spectra were measured with the help of fluorimeter.
Conclusion. Analysis of the study results showed that when heating polyurethane samples covered with diesel fuel, it is possible to identify the combustion initiator as a strongly burned diesel fuel up to 250 °C C inclusive for 5, 10, 15, and 20 min. When polyurethane samples are heated to temperatures above 250 °C, the identification of the combustion initiator as highly burnt diesel fuel is impossible.

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