ChemInform Abstract: On an Electrode Producing Massive Quantities of Tritium and Helium.

Abstract

On an Electrode Producing Massive Quantities of Tritium and Helium.-Tritium and 4He production at a rate of ∼ =107 atoms cm-2 s-1 is observed during electrolysis of a 0.1 M LiOD solution at a Pd electrode, pretreated by acid etching and anodization. The total amount of T in the solution after 761 h of electrolysis is ∼ =104 times above the background. The 4He production, measured in pieces of the Pd electrode, ranges between 2 and 100 times above the background. After intentional interruption of the T production after ∼ =3 weeks, the reaction cannot be re-started. Contamination as the source of T production is excluded. Only one electrode out of four examined produces T and 4He, because the special state of surface, necessary for the occurrence of the fusion phenomenon, is difficult to reproduce. The surface of the successful electrode has a copper mosaic structure, which is not observed on the inactive electrodes. -(CHIEN, C.-C.; HODKO, D.; MINEVSKI, Z.; BOCKRIS, J. O'M.; J.