-----Original Message----- From: Jed Rothwell > Ed Storms sometimes reads the messages here [snip] and says that this issue comes up only because of total ignorance and it should be answered in the same way as if a person suggested the moon was made of cheese.
You mean it's not cheese ? :) Even so, isn't "total ignorance" tantamount to total bliss? Seriously, there is at least one way that oxygen near the cathode could be relevant - that is, if one subscribes to Mills' theory. On special occasions like St Patty's Day, even Ed gives it some credence. Well ... maybe that's after a couple of green beers. And it's tomorrow. The O++ ion, which would be attracted to the negative charge, could provide the so-called "energy-hole" necessary to "shrink" a nascent deuteron, according to CQM. This could be the predecessor event to pycnodeuterium, deuteron clusters and so on. At least it is worth the mention. If I'm not mistaken, the ionization potential is precisely 54.4 eV or 4Ry, but - yes - oxygen "wants" to go the other way on ion binges (electron affinity) so one would think that the ++ would be rare in electrolysis, but who knows that there is not some secondary mechanism to help with this? Maybe the secret can be found in green beer, ladies. Have one on me. Jones
