It is well known that the creation of a nuclear active environment
(NAE) for cold fusion in metal lattices is related to the surface and
thus the surface treatment of the lattice in which the hydrogen is
adsorbed, and that only specific small surface areas are typically
involved in electrolysis based cold fusion [1] It has long been known
that cracking and loss of hydrogen fugacity reduces or eliminates the
prospects for excess heat production. [2] It is therefore reasonable
to conjecture that surface treatments that inhibit the formation of
cracks formed by stress should improve the prospects for or even
density of nuclear active environments within a cathode.
It has recently been discovered that proper application of strong
electric fields to interfaces where two types of material are joined,
or to metal surfaces, when the material is under stress, can
"stabilize the surface or interface, inhibiting the formation of
cracks and healing cracks that have already started." [3] It is
therefore reasonable to expect such surface or interface treatments
can be used to create, enhance, or maintain a nuclear active
environment, especially in metal cathodes used in electrolysis,
because such electrodes are exposed to stress due to high loading
conditions. It is also reasonable to conjecture that the success of
the methods of Claytor et al [4] [5] [6] in a metal-gas environment
may be due in part to creation and maintenance of nuclear active
environments in or on the wire cathode metal surfaces by continuous
application of a strong electric field.
It may be that a significant effect of a transverse electric field
upon a cathode [7], in addition to surface morphology changes and
other effects, may be the strengthening of the surface against
cracking. It thus can further be conjectured that similar field
hardening effects may be related to the improved reliability of
cathodes created by codeposition, and this indicates the possible
effectiveness of greatly increasing the voltage at which codeposition
is accomplished, or the possible effectiveness of shocking the
codeposited material during preparation by use of a high current
pulse. Such an approach may also be effective in that the active
environment may also involve addition of or imbedding of elements
from the preparation electrolyte. Similarly, electrodes involving a
layering of material, e.g. CaO [8] [9], might be improved by shocking
the interfaces by use of momentary high current densities during
preparation.
Lastly, it is well known that cryogenic quenching of metals,
especially gun barrels and engine blocks, following high temperature
annealing, greatly increase their strength and resilience, even at
high temperature operation. Such treatment, especially in combination
with the above treatments, may be useful in creating more active and
more reliable lattice environments for nuclear fusion.
[1] Edmond Storms, The Science of Low Energy Nucler Reaction, World
Scientific Publishing Co., 2007, pp 52,100, 123, 130, 131, 144
[2] Bockris et al, “TRIGGERING OF HEAT AND SUB-SURFACE CHANGES IN Pd-
D SYSTEMS”, The Fourth International Conference on Cold Fusion, 1993.
(ICCF-4) Lahaina, Maui, Dec. 6-9, 1993
[3] University of Massachusetts Amherst. "Engineers Inhibit Fractures
In Metals Using An Electric Field." ScienceDaily 4 February 2008. 14
February 2008
<http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2008/01/080130185213.htm>
[4] T.N. Claytor, et al,”TRITIUM GENERATION AND NEUTRON MEASUREMENTS
IN Pd-Si UNDER HIGH DEUTERIUM GAS PRESSURE”,Second Annual Conference
on Cold Fusion, 1991,
http://lenr-canr.org/acrobat/ClaytorTNtritiumgen.pdf
[5] T.N. Claytor, et al,”TRITIUM PRODUCTION FROM PALLADIUM
ALLOYS”,The Seventh International Conference on Cold Fusion, 1998,
http://lenr-canr.org/acrobat/ClaytorTNtritiumprob.pdf
[6] T.N. Claytor, et al,”TRITIUM PRODUCTION FROM A LOW VOLTAGE
DEUTERIUM DISCHARGE ON PALLADIUM AND OTHER METALS”,8/9/2002,
http://lenr-canr.org/acrobat/ClaytorTNtritiumpro.pdf
[7] S. Szpak, P. A. Mosier-Boss, F. E. Gordon, “PRECURSORS AND THE
FUSION REACTIONS IN POLARISED Pd/D-D2O SYSTEM: EFFECT OF AN EXTERNAL
ELECTRIC FIELD”,
SPAWAR Systems Center San Diego, San Diego CA 92152-5001, USA,
http://lenr-canr.org/acrobat/SzpakSprecursors.pdf
[8] Iwamural et al, “OBSERVATION OF LOW ENERGY NUCLEAR REACTIONS
INDUCED BY D2 GAS PERMEATION THROUGH PD COMPLEXES”,The Ninth
International Conference on Cold Fusion, 2002. Beijing, China:
Tsinghua University,
http://lenr-canr.org/acrobat/IwamuraYobservatioa.pdf
[9] Iwamural et al, “OBSERVATION OF LOW ENERGY NUCLEAR REACTIONS
INDUCED BY D2 GAS PERMEATION THROUGH PD COMPLEXES”,The Eleventh
International Conference on Condensed Matter Nuclear Science, 2004.
Marseille, Francehttp://lenr-canr.org/acrobat/IwamuraYobservatiob.pdf
Horace Heffner
http://www.mtaonline.net/~hheffner/
