PETN, a white powder that was introduced after World War I, belongs to the same chemical family as nitroglycerin. It is about 70 percent more powerful than T.N.T., and is stable.

PETN, short for pentaerythritol trinitrate, is a widely available - and easily detected - chemical explosive that has a long history of terrorist use. Terrorist incidents in recent years involving ...

What is PETN Explosive: PETN, or Pentaerythritol tetranitrate, is a highly powerful explosive material with a relative effectiveness factor of 1.66. However, it is also susceptible to shock and ...

American X-ray machines should spot PETN, the explosive used in the suspicious packages from Yemen, in any luggage. But cargo flights from abroad could be vulnerable.

December 26, 2009 / 12:41 PM EST / CBS/AP The suspect in the attempted bombing of Northwest Flight 253 used a highly explosive substance called PETN, a law enforcement official told CBS News Saturday.

PETN is the same chemical used in the failed attempt to blow up a U.S.-bound airliner on Christmas Day. That plot has been linked to al-Qaida's offshoot in Yemen.

An international effort to track and seize suspicious US-bound packages originating from Yemen has found multiple explosive devices using PETN - the same chemical used by the 2009 Christmas Day ...

Feds find trove of explosive materials, including devastating PETN, at IVF clinic bomber’s house: ‘Full-blown bomb lab’ By Jared Downing Published May 20, 2025, 2:36 a.m. ET ...