Synthesis and characterisation of homemade potassium chlorate from consumer products

Potassium chlorate is a common oxidiser that can be illicitly synthesised using everyday consumer products. Its prevalence in homemade explosive (HME) formulations makes it a recurring concern for forensic and investigative authorities. Despite this, limited research exists on the forensic characterisation of homemade potassium chlorate and the potential for source attribution based on the synthesis route. This study aims to address this gap by synthesising potassium chlorate from a range of hypochlorite-based products as well as safety matches, followed by a comprehensive analytical characterisation of the resulting products. Yields varied considerably depending on the source material, while chemical analysis revealed differences in impurity profiles. Techniques including ATR-FTIR spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and SEM-EDS were utilised to assess chemical composition. The findings demonstrate that homemade potassium chlorates may carry traces of their precursor materials and synthesis routes, highlighting the potential for these markers to assist in forensic comparison and source attribution. Future work will explore the application of chemometric approaches and ICP-MS analysis to further enhance discrimination based on trace elemental and multivariate patterns, with the ultimate goal of strengthening forensic intelligence capabilities related to chlorate-based HMEs.