From: chuck@coplex.com (Chuck Sites)
Subject: More comments on Analysis of Tom's Cells
Organization: Copper Electronics, Inc.
Date: Sun, 3 Jan 1993 07:01:56 GMT
Summary: Reply to Frank Close's comments, + some more.
Keywords: X-Rays, Transmutaion, Fusion, Tom Droege, Frank Close, SEM


   So much has been going on, I'm just now getting caught up.  Holidays 
have an interesting way of blowing ones concentration.  I'm just now getting
to the "Electrostatic Fusion" material, and so far I don't doubt thier claims. 
It's quite an interesting comparison that Terry Bollinger make between this
and "Fracto-fusion".  Most people think of fractures a quite large effect
compaired to atomic scales.  That's not necessarily so, most are 10 angstroms
or so, and are classified as plastic deformations, and brittle metal fratures. 
Pd tends towards plastic and Ti brittle, but hydration stiffens Pd and softens
Ti. There is a lot to fracturing as I've be learning, and so far it seems like
a very possible stimulus for fusion in metal as seen by Steve Jones, Menlove,
etc.  Anyway, back to some old material.  This may be out of date, but it's
something I would like to get of my chest.  Frank Close apparently has a
misunderstanding of the capabilities of anylitical electronmicroscopy
and what we found in Tom Droege's cells. 
  
  Tom is correct, we are just experimenting, not making claims. (Yet.)
Experimenting is basically, learning, refining thoughts, then methods, 
and experimenting again. Try Try again.  We all learn from this.  The
metal transport problem between cathode/anode and extraneous sources are
important as Dieter Britz argues. (Dieter, I did see a very small Cr peak
in one scan of the "Takahashi style" electrode, but at the time, we thought
it was an artifact and dismissed it.) Being clean of oils is important too
as Jed Rothewell argues. I didn't see any obvious effects of this in Tom's
cells, but we were not looking for organics.  Well, such is experimenting
sometimes it's right, sometimes wrong, and then sometimes it... well... 
how can I put this Frank.. ehh.. mis-stated hear-say.

   In a recent posting by Dr. F. Close, there are a couple of comments 
I would like to correct.  The elemental analysis we did of Tom Droege's
cells were done by electron X-ray backscatter techniques.  This technique
has the advantage that ZrO is easily distinguished from Pd.  There is no
problem with molecular masses being confused with atomic masses as in
mass-spec.  The disadvantage is that isotope separation is difficult since
the X-ray spectrum of an isotope is only shifted by the hyperfine constant.
That type of information is easily lost in the detector/MCA.  Our detection
capabilities were further limited by running the system with the light 
element window closed (to protect the SiLI detector from residual D & Li
in the cell), so we are limited to elements above Oxygen.  Infact isotope
shifts can't be done with the type of equipment we are using as far as I
know. But if there was Zr in Tom's Cells we would have seen that simply
because it's X-ray spectrum is quite different from Pd. 

   What we did have problems with was the ability to quantify what might
be a trace amount of Ag in Pd cells.  Our instruments reported trace 
amounts in the cells labeled "Fractured electrode" (FE) and "Takahashi
style" (TS) at about 1% localized to areas about 1 nm^2 .  The problem is
this could be a spectral peak overlap from the strong PD line.  However,
I did observe an escape peak for Ag while looking at a sharp fractured edge
in FE, but because of metal transport problem (found by our work), this may
moot since the source could have come from one of the brass connectors that
made contact with the electrolyte. I should know more when we do our next
run.   
    
   In spite of what that somewhat gray analysis, what we did find may 
be more important to the experimentalist than anything.  Metal transport
has a profound effect on the surface structure. The electrolyte material
has a similar effect on the surface. Those are to be expected, but are
these metal deposits benfitial to the production of hydrated metal excess
heat effects, anonomolus nuclear effects, hydrogen-band formation, or what
ever?  This still remains a unknown, as are so many things in this 
cutting edge science field.   

   Lastly Frank,  I just heard you speak on Radio Canada shortwave in a
segment called "Of Quirks and Quarks."  Very fascinating talk I must say
although it was pure-luck finding it.  Do you have such detailed discussions  
on the goings on of "Cold Fusion"?  I would like to get your opinion.  What is
your belief on the connection between hydrated metal excess heat and fusion
in metals?  What's your favorite theory?      

Happy New Year!
Have fun,
Chuck Sites
chuck@coplex.com

 

Newsgroups: sci.physics.fusion