PETN Explosive Material

The explosive found in Yemen packages called PETN. It is a powerful industrial explosive that makes a lot of damage in small amounts.
Its official name is pentaerythritol trinitrate and is triggered by heat or a shock wave. Just 100 grams of it can destroy a car.
This is not the first time that terrorists have tried to use PETN to create an explosion. In 2001 "shoe bomber" Richard Reid tried to use PETN to shoot down an American Airlines flight bound for Miami. Last year, researchers say Omar Farouck Abdulmutallab PETN used in an attempt to down a Northwest Airlines plane to land in Detroit.