Explosives detection products are typically used within three primary areas 1) bulk analysis, 2) screening, and 3) trace analysis. Several products transcend these categoriesand will be listed as such.

Bulk analysis products are generally those that require 1mg or more of material for identification. Product types include optical spectroscopy instrumentation and X-ray detection equipment.

Screening products are those able to provide high-throughput, actionable results within a matter of a few seconds to minutes. These products are typically person-portable, and somewhat ruggedized and include devices seen at airport security points, colorimetric tests, and others.

Trace analysis products can range from extremely sensitive colorimetric products to laboratory-scale instrumentation that detects individual ions associated with a given energetic mixture. As bulk products require greater than 1mg of material for identification or classification, trace analysis products have detection limits in the parts-per-trillion to parts-per-million range.