N heptadecane

Nitroglycerin (1000 μg/ml in methanol) was purchased from Restek. Diphenylamine and n‐heptadecane were purchased from Acros Organics. Dinitrotoluene was purchased from Spectrum Chemicals. Ethyl centralite was purchased from Aldrich Chemistry. Di‐n‐butyl phthalate was purchased from Supelco. Acetone was purchased from Fisher Chemical. Alliant Red Dot and IMR 4064 were purchased locally. IMR 4064 is a single‐base rod‐shaped smokeless powder designed to burn from the inside out. Alliant Red Dot is a double‐base disc‐shaped smokeless powder with red identifiers. The chemical composition of the red identifiers in Alliant Red Dot is the same as the other particles present, only with a colorant added.

All solvents and reagents used were of analytical or chromatographic grade. Chloroform, N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide +1% trimethylchlorosilane (BSTFA+1%TMCS), hexane and n-heptadecane, used as internal standard, were purchased from Acros Organics. Methanol and toluene were purchased from Fisher Scientific. The Burseraceae resins Boswellia papyrifera Hochst. (“Eritrea 1^st choice”), Boswellia carterii Birdw. (“Somalia 1^st choice”), Boswellia sacra Flück. (“Oman white No. 1”), Boswellia serrata Roxb. (“Indian siftings”) were obtained from Gerhard Eggebrecht (Süderau, Germany).