HydrogenHydrogen EmbrittlementEmbrittlement, Microcracking, and , Microcracking, and PiezonuclearPiezonuclear FissionFission ReactionsReactions at the Ni and Pd at the Ni and Pd

ElectrodesElectrodes of of ElectrolysisElectrolysis ““ColdCold FusionFusion”” ExperimentsExperiments

A. Carpinteri, O. A. Carpinteri, O. BorlaBorla, A. Goi, A. Manuello, D. Veneziano, A. Goi, A. Manuello, D. VenezianoDepartmentDepartment of of StructuralStructural, , GeotechnicalGeotechnical and Building and Building

EngineeringEngineering Politecnico di Torino, ItalyPolitecnico di Torino, Italy

CHARACTERISTIC PHENOMENA IN THE SO-CALLED COLD FUSION (CF)

1989 - Fleishman & Pons

1998 - Mizuno

2008 - Mosier-Boss et al.

Heat Generation

Heat GenerationNeutron EmissionCompositional changes

Heat GenerationNeutron EmissionCompositional changesAlpha particle emissions

Mizuno, 1998. Infinite Energy Press.Fleischmann, Pons, Hawkins, 1989. J. Electroanalitical Chemistry

Mosier-Boss, P.A., et al., 2008. Eur. J. of Applied Physics

Is there a relation between the experimental evidence of the so-called “Cold Fusion”, observed during the last two decades, and the Piezonuclear evidence recently observed from fracture of inert and nonradioactive materials?

NeutronEmission

Compositional Changes

AlphaEmission

Cold Fusion vs Piezonuclear Reactions

“A unified interpretation and theory of these phenomena has not been accepted and their comprehension still remains unresolved” (Preparata1991)

Phenomena in common :

Micro-crackingand Fracture

Part I: Part I: NiNi--Fe and Fe and CoCo--CrCr

ElectrodesElectrodes

Experimental Set-up

Electrolytic Cell Electrodes

Co-Cr

Instantaneous Neutron Emissions between 4 and 10 times the background level

Neutron Emissions

AlphaAlpha ParticleParticle EmissionsEmissions

CELL OFF: 0.015 CsCELL OFF: 0.015 Cs--11((meanmean valuevalue))

Total acquisition time: 1 hour

Time (sec)

Total acquisition time: 1 hour

AlphaAlpha ParticleParticle EmissionsEmissions

CELL ON: 0.030 CsCELL ON: 0.030 Cs--11((meanmean valuevalue))

Time (sec)

Cumulative Cumulative CurvesCurves forfor the the AlphaAlpha EmissionsEmissions

Time (sec)

Ni-Fe Electrode : Compositional Changes

58 2828 14Ni 2Si + 2n→

58 24 428 12 2Ni 2Mg + 2He + 2n→

Ni (Ni (−−8.6%) = Si (+3.9%)8.6%) = Si (+3.9%) +Mg+Mg (+4.7%)(+4.7%)

Ni-Fe Electrode : Compositional Changes

58 2828 14Ni 2Si + 2n→

58 24 428 12 2Ni 2Mg + 2He + 2n→

56 52 426 24 2Fe Cr + He →

Ni (Ni (−−8.6%) = Si (+3.9%)8.6%) = Si (+3.9%) +Mg+Mg (+4.7%)(+4.7%)

Fe (Fe (−−3.2%) = Cr (+3.0%)3.2%) = Cr (+3.0%)

59 56 127 26 1Co Fe + H + 2n→

Co (Co (−−23.5%) = Fe (+23.2%)23.5%) = Fe (+23.2%)

Co-Cr Electrode : Compositional Changes

59 56 127 26 1Co Fe + H + 2n→

52 39 4 124 19 2 1Cr K + 2He + H + 4n→

Co (Co (−−23.5%) = Fe (+23.2%)23.5%) = Fe (+23.2%)

Cr (Cr (−−8.1%) + K8.1%) + K22COCO3 3 ((−−4.3%) = K (+12.4%) 4.3%) = K (+12.4%)

Co-Cr Electrode : Compositional Changes

CompositionalCompositional AnalysisAnalysis of theof the ElectrodesElectrodesCo-Cr electrode surface BEFORE the test

Micro-cracking after 38 hours

CompositionalCompositional AnalysisAnalysis of theof the ElectrodesElectrodesCo-Cr electrode surface AFTER the test

Part II: Part II: Pd and Ni Pd and Ni ElectrodesElectrodes

Experimental Set-up

Electrolytic Cell Electrodes

Pd

Neutron Emission

Neutron Emissions between 3 and 7 times the background level.

(min)(min)

PALLADIUM ELECTRODE

Palladium (−28.7%)

Iron (+2.0)

Calcium (+0.2)

Oxygen (+18.5)

18.5

Magnesium (+1.0)

Potassium (+1.5)

Silicon (+1.1%)

Element concentrations before and after the Electrolysis

(1)(1)

FIRST GENERATION REACTION (assumed)

Pd(−28.6%) = Ca (+10.8%) + Fe (+15.1%) + + neutrons (+2.7 %)

(2)(2)

SECOND GENERATION REACTIONS

Fe (−15.1 %) = O (+12.9 %) +He (+1.1 %) + neutrons (+1.1)

(2)(2)

(3)(3)

SECOND GENERATION REACTIONS

Fe (−15.1 %) = O (+12.9 %) +He (+1.1 %) + neutrons (+1.1)

Ca (−5.9 %) = O (+4.7 %) + He (+1.2 %)

(2)(2)

(3)(3)

(4)(4)

Ca (−1.6 %) = O (+0.6 %) + Mg (+1.0 %)

Ca (−5.9 %) = O (+4.7 %) + H (+0.6 %) + neutrons (+0.6 %)

SECOND GENERATION REACTIONS

Fe (−15.1 %) = O (+12.9 %) +He (+1.1 %) + neutrons (+1.1)

(2)(2)

(3)(3)

(4)(4)

The calculated O increase of 18.2% is very close to the experimental value of 18.5%.

Ca (−1.6 %) = O (+0.6 %) + Mg (+1.0 %)

Ca (−5.9 %) = O (+4.7 %) + H (+0.6 %) + neutrons (+0.6 %)

SECOND GENERATION REACTIONS

Fe (−15.1 %) = O (+12.9 %) +He (+1.1 %) + neutrons (+1.1)

Considering the experimental residual 0.2% of Ca, and the previously calculated residual 3.3% of Ca, the following tworeactions provide a complete matching:

(5)(5)

Ca (−1.5 %) = K (+1.5 %)

Considering the experimental residual 0.2% of Ca, and the previously calculated residual 3.3% of Ca, the following tworeactions provide a complete matching:

(5)(5)

(6)(6)

Ca (−1.5 %) = K (+1.5 %)

Considering the experimental residual 0.2% of Ca, and the previously calculated residual 3.3% of Ca, the following tworeactions provide a complete matching:

Ca (−1.6 %) = Si (+1.1 %) + C (+0.5 %)

NICKEL ELECTRODE

Nickel (−23.1%)

Oxygen (+19.5%)

Element concentrations before and after the Electrolysis

(7)(7)

Ni (−22.1%) = O (+18.0%) + He (+3.0%) + neutrons (+1.1)

The calculated O increase of 18.0% is not far from the experimental value of 19.5%.

(8)(8)

Ni (−1.0%) = Si (+0.9%) + neutrons (+0.1)

(9)(9)

Fe (−2.0%) = Al (+1.9%) + neutrons (+0.1)

(8)(8)

Ni (−1.0%) = Si (+0.9%) + neutrons (+0.1)

CompositionalCompositional AnalysisAnalysis of theof the ElectrodesElectrodesPALLADIUM ELECTRODE AFTER THE TEST

Macro-cracking after 20 hours

100µm

WAVELENGHT vs FREQUENCY

EarthquakesEarthquakes HumansHumans InsectsInsects BacteriaBacteria ProteinsProteins

MetreMetre

HertzHertz

101033 101000 1010−−33 1010−−66 1010−−99

10101212101099101033101000 101066

vf λ=

WavelenghtWavelenght vsvs FrequencyFrequency

3 112

9

10 ms10 Hz10 m

−

−=

NanoNano--scalescale vs vs TeraHertzTeraHertz

FrequencyFrequency vs Energyvs Energy

16 130.025 eV 6.58 10 eVs 3.8 10 Hz−= × × ×

TeraHertzTeraHertz vs vs VibrationalVibrationalEnergy of the Energy of the AtomicAtomic LatticeLattice

E hf=

(1) The primary phenomenon appears to be a symmetric fission of the atom of nickel into two silicon atoms, or two atoms of magnesium. In the latter case, additional fragments were found to be constituted by alpha particles.

(2) In a second investigation, where a palladium electrode was used, the primary process appears to be the non-symmetric fission of palladium into iron and calcium, whereas the secondary processes appear to be the further fissions of both such products into oxygen and alpha particles.

CONCLUSIONS