At 01:20 PM 5/12/2010, Roarty, Francis X wrote:
Obviously Pd creates a barrier that d2
cannot cross, The controversy is over how the pressure is created.
No. This pressure is created by both hydrogen and
deuterium. The high pressure mentioned is created
by electrolysis with hydrogen or deuterium
generated at the surface of a hollow palladium rod.
Shanahan's cigarette-lighter explanation does not
factor for the lack of excess heat when doing this with hydrogen.
The deuterium ice, deuterium clusters,
fractional hydrogen and other monikers all
describe an unusual state of hydrogen
Associated with this phenomena.
It is an unusual state in palladium deuteride,
almost like solid hydrogen (i.e., hydrogen metal) that will sublimate slowly.
The state is always associated with a catalyst
and we must therefore assume the energy behind
this effect is supplied by the cavity
Is this assuming too much?
I think so. There are cavities involved, likely.
However, they are not supplying any energy,
apparently, rather they *configure* the reacting
ingredient or ingredients. We know that the
reaction rate increases with temperature. I
suspect that the energy required -- there must be
energy required, but energy is not the only
"ingredient" -- is generally supplied by ordinary heat.
