The impact of force, time, and rotation on the transfer of ammonium nitrate: A reductionist approach to understanding evidence dynamics

•Novel use of the Instron ElectroPuls™ for forensic applications.•Objective assessment of the impact of force, time, and rotation on trace transfer.•Transfer readily occurred across all test scenarios and conditions.•More particulates transferred from non-porous surfaces than porous surfaces.•Greater transfer was observed when contact involved rotation.