The effect of hydriding on the physical structure of palladium and on the release of contained tritium

Abstract

The behavior of tritium released from a contaminated, palladium cathode has been determined and compared to the pattern found in cells claimed to produce tritium by a cold fusion reaction. Void space is produced in palladium when it is subjected to hydrogen adsorption and desorption cycles. This void space can produce channels through which hydrogen can be lost from the cathode, thereby reducing the hydrogen concentration. This effect is influenced, in part, by impurities, the shape of the electrode, the charging rate, the achieved concentration of hydrogen and the length of time the maximum concentration is present.