-----Original Message----- From: [email protected]
> Surely the whole point would be to create a current through the Ni? Ni is a metal and as such is a reasonable conductor. As a powder it would be less than a solid, but it also has lots of parallel paths. Robin, As I understand the dynamics of this situation, one cannot pass a current through a nanopowder without promoting instant agglomeration - which over time proceeds progressively back into a bulk conductor. That is why a 'support' is required - to prevent conductivity by the metal, which will ruin the nanopowder geometry. However, if the support itself can be made temporarily conductive, such as via the absorption of an IR photon, then this is a way to maintain the process over extended periods with a semblance of electrical conductivity plus nano-geometry coexisting in the same material. Jones
