Michael Mckubre

SRI International | SRI · Materials Research Laboratory

Umfassende Monographie mit ausführlichem Theorieteil und verschiedene Anwendungen der elektrochemischen Impedanzspektroskopie

We have performed Pd electrodeposition in both D2O and H2O electrolytes in the presence of a magnetic field using CR-39 solid state nuclear track detectors. These detectors were either immersed in the electrolyte or separated from it by a thin Mylar® film. We have found a statistically significant increase in the number of tracks measured in the D2...

Karabut has reported collimated x-ray emission in a high-current density glow discharge experiment, a result which has for some years remain unexplained. A model has been proposed to account for the emission based on the up-conversion of vibrational quanta to produce excitation of the 1565 eV excited state in 201Hg. To test this idea, we are develo...

Early criticisms were made of the scientific claims made by Martin Fleischmann and Stanley Pons in 1989 on their observation of heat effects in electrochemically driven palladium-deuterium experiments that were consistent with nuclear but not chemical or stored energy sources. These criticisms were premature and adverse. In the light of 25 years fu...

Columbia Resin-39 (CR-39) detectors used in Pd/D co-deposition experiments were examined using an op-tical microscope, scanned using an automated scanner, and underwent both sequential etching analysis as well as LET spectrum analysis. These analyses identi-fied and quantified the energetic particles responsible for the tracks observed in the CR-39...

Pd/D co-deposition has been used by a number of researchers to explore the condensed matter nuclear reactions occurring within the palladium lattice by generating highly loaded layers of lattice over the cathode. Reaction products that have been observed include heat, transmutation, tritium, energetic charged particles and neutrons. The results of...

Fleischmann and Pons effect (FPE) is the production of excess power during electrochemical loading of deuterium in palladium. This effect has the following features: (1) It is a threshold effect (loading D/Pd > 0.9). (2) It is unobserved when electrochemical loading is performed with hydrogen from light water. (3) It is unexplainable as a chemical...

This chapter focuses on two details of Martin Fleischmann's final project:(i) the multithreshold materials constraints that prevented easy reproducibility of the Fleischmann–Pons heat effect (FPHE); (ii) the brilliant, implementation of the Fleischmann–Pons calorimeter, designed to take advantage of positive thermal feedback. Martin Fleischmann's m...

An experimental program was designed and performed to test three aspects of CMNS studies. A fourth objective was added in the light of reports from Rossi regarding large scale heat release from the nickel – natural hydrogen system, that prompted re-evaluation of earlier work on this system performed by Piantelli, and later claims by Defkalion Index...

Initial efforts to characterize the resistance-loading relationship for hydrogen and its isotopes in palladium lead to a much more intensive examination of this property following the 1989 announcement by Fleischmann and Pons of putative "cold fusion". Subsequent work lead to an understanding of the loading requirement for the Fleischmann Pons heat...

The critical role of the electrode material characteristics in increasing the probability for observation of excess of power during electrochemical loading of palladium cathodes with deuterium is investigated, and, excesses of power production obtained by using palladium material with these identified characteristics are reported. Characterizations...

An early derivative experiment of the original Fleischman-Pons electrochemical experiment [1-3] was that of Szpak et al [4-5]. Szpak et al. chose to electro- deposit bulk metal palladium on a conductive metal substrate from a deuterium oxide (D2O) solution of a Pd salt, as opposed to electrolytically loading a bulk Pd cathode in a D2O solution. Rec...

The state of the palladium metal has been identified on the basis of statistical data to play fundamental roles in producing the Fleischman-Pons excess heat effect. The deuterium loading dynamics and its equilibrium concentration are mostly controlled by the metallurgy; a minimum threshold loading (D/Pd ∼ 0.9) is necessary to observe the excess. Th...

ICCF16 marks nearly 22 years of research into the phenomenon first called "cold fusion". This new field has expanded in breadth to the point that numerous acronyms compete to describe overlapping effects. Two of these are: LENR (Low Energy Nuclear Reactions) and its subset FPE (the Fleischmann Pons Effect). Research to elucidate the basic processes...

Several groups have reported anomalous effects (heat and nuclear products) in thin PdDx materials stimulated by different forms of electro-diffusion. Using our cryogenic calorimeter we have measured the energy released from destructive electro-diffusion of a highly loaded PdH(D) x wires, co-deposited PdH(D)x on highly loaded PdH(D) x wires, and NiH...

In his criticisms of the review article on LENR by Krivit and Marwan, Shanahan has raised a number of issues in the areas of calorimetry, heat after death, elemental transmutation, energetic particle detection using CR-39, and the temporal correlation between heat and helium-4. These issues are addressed by the researchers who conducted the origina...

Contains table of contents on Section 3 and reports on nineteen research projects.

Contains table of contents for Section 3 and reports on eighteen research projects.

The strength of the experimental evidence for an excess heat effect in metal deuterides has motivated us to consider theoretical models. The observation of correlated with energy with an associated reaction Q?value determined experimentally to be near 24 MeV implicates reaction mechanisms consistent with Most significant is that the reaction energy...

In the Fleischmann-Pons experiment, observations of excess heat production are not accompanied by observations of commensurate energetic nuclear particles (3). The energy produced in these experiments is orders of magnitude greater than can be associated with chemical or solid-state processes. In the case of heavy water experiments, 4 He has been o...

With recent publicity outside the CMNS field it has become increasingly important to clarify in non-specialist terms what is known and what is understood in the general field of so called Low Energy or lattice Enhanced Nuclear Reactions (LENR). It is also crucial and timely to expose and elaborate what objections or reservations exist with regard t...

Several groups have reported anomalous effects (heat and nuclear products) in thin PdDx materials stimulated by different forms of electro-diffusion. We have designed and tested a calorimeter utilizes an "exploding wire" technique to examine the effect of a destructive electrodiffusion on a highly loaded PdDx wire. We have shown that highly loaded...

Calorimetric experiments have revealed a crucial role of the metallurgy and surface characteristics for reproducing the FPE. A material status to have an improved probability to observe the effect under electrochemical loading of deuterium in palladium has been identified by means of statistical approach. The evolution of the research approach is d...

Two series of experiments have been performed independently at ENEA and SRI to replicate the results of excess heat experiments reported by Energetics. Successful replication was obtained at SRI in the original isoperibolic mode of calorimetry used by Energetics in Israel and using a sophisticated mass flow calorimeter at ENEA. Two factors were fou...

A systematic approach has been followed in the production and characterization of Pd foils to be used in excess heat production experiments (1)( 2) (3). Starting with a metal foil as supplied, palladium samples have been fabricated and characterized in a step by step process, and then subjected to electrolysis deuterium loading. The characterized m...

Much discussion in the Condensed Matter Nuclear Science or "Cold Fusion" fields centers on the subject of replication. It is a topic that comes up in essentially every conversation about the Fleischmann Pons Effect (FPE). Assembled here is a set of essentially personal views on this subject of replication. Why is replication important? We might beg...

Discussion of the Mass Flow first principles calorimeter in this paper is based primarily on the analysis and experience gained at SRI in answering the question: "is there a Fleischmann Pons heat effect (FPE)"? Subsequently other mass flow calorimeters, or more generically heat balance calorimeters, were designed to answer this same question and so...

The main research work in ENEA (Italian Agency for Energy New Technologies and Environment) in the field of Condensed Matter Nuclear Science was oriented towards material science in order to increase both the magnitude and reproducibility of excess of power production. The work was performed within a cooperative framework involving University of Ro...

A joint effort performed by ENEA, SRI, Energetics Technologies, NRL and the University of Rome La Sapienza allowed to obtain a remarkable level of sheared reproducibility both in high loading of palladium with deuterium and in observing excess power production during calorimetric experiments. The excess heat was observed with a signal well above th...

Material science research activities have been carried out in order to increase the reproducibility of the excess of power production during electrochemical loading of palladium with deuterium. In the past a wide work was developed to obtain a metallurgical structure of the palladium able to ensure a significant loading of deuterium above the thres...

18 years after the APS voted to refute the reality of Cold Fusion in Baltimore, it is appropriate to consider what has changed. Who was right? We will review the current state of knowledge from the perspective of what we know now compared to what we knew then. Discussion will be made of various avenues of research that we have followed from the ori...

The resistance ratio method is the most frequent technique used to determine the extent of interstitial loading of hydrogen or deuterium atoms into palladium electrodes, or extended structures used in electrolytic or gas phase cold fusion experiments. Specifically, advantage is taken of an empirical relationship between the measured resistance, R,...

A research activity has started some years ago in the framework of collaboration between the ENEA (Italy) and the SRI (USA), aimed to the identification of traces of nuclear reactions in condensed matter. This work has also involved cross-linked analysis in order to identify effects due to contaminants that could affect the isotopic shift estimate....

Recent research activity at ENEA, in the field of Condensed Matter Nuclear Science, has been oriented to material science and Laser triggering in order to increase the reproducibility of excess of power production during loading of palladium with deuterium. Isoperibolic calorimetry in gas phase, isoperibolic and flow calorimetry with electrochemica...

Calorimetric analysis has been carried out for both electrochemical and gas loading experiment. A finite element modeling for steady state and transient gave a satisfactory agreement with the experimental results. For electrochemical cells modeling was applied for isoperibolic and flow calorimeters with the main goal to optimize the system. For hig...

This book is published for the Proceedings of ICCF-12 International Conference of Condensed Matter Nuclear Scince, 27 November - 2 December 2005, Yokohama, Japan. All papers were peer-reviewed and edited. Only first authors of each section papers are listed as authors above. The progress and scientific status of condensed matter nuclear science aro...

Seventeen years after the APS voted to refute the reality of Cold Fusion in Baltimore, it is appropriate to consider what has changed. Who was right? We will review the current state of knowledge from the perspective of what we know now compared to what we knew then. Discussion will be made of various avenues of research that have followed from the...

A research activity has been carried out, during the last three years, in the field of triggering anomalous heat effects in palladium deuteride. An enhancement of the excess of power reproducibility in deuterated palladium was obtained by using HeNe laser irradiation during electrochemical loading. A preliminary correlation between excess of energy...

The experimental evidence for anomalies in metal deuterides, including excess heat and nuclear emissions, suggests the existence of new physical effects.

Electrochemical experiments have been carried out in order to identify traces of nuclear processes occurring in condensed matter. The experimental activity was primarily designed to reduce the background element impurities by using ultra-pure cleaning procedures to eliminate contamination. The working conditions allowed us to obtain a clear signal...

It is universally accepted, even by nonscientists, that if the measured output from a physical system is double, triple, or quadruple that obtained when the measured stimulus/input is doubled, tripled, or quadrupled then there is a "cause and effect relationship" between the input and output (e.g. total energy input versus excess energy [or nuclear...

Extensive experimentation with palladium wire cathodes electrolyzed in heavy water has identified loading, initiation and triggering criteria associated with the production of excess heat. In early experiments the loading and triggering were both achieved by electrochemical means and the initiation process was adventitious. This paper discusses the...

Research at ENEA was oriented to material science study, in order to increase the deuterium concentration in palladium foils undergone to electrochemical loading and to triggering, in order to increase the reproducibility of excess of power production. Laser irradiation was used as trigger. Isoperibolic and flow calorimetry operating with electroch...

Impedance Measurement TechniquesCommercially Available Impedance Measurement SystemsData Analysis

A 15-year research program at SRI International developed accurate means of measuring heat released in electrolysis reactions, and studied in detail the loading of deuterium into Pd metal. Excess heat defined as heat output exceeding the sum of electrical and chemical energy in, was many times observed at levels up to 90 times the measurement uncer...

Results from a multi-year, research effort, are summarized. The effort was developed within the framework of a cooperation between ENEA and SRI, and was mainly oriented towards: 1. Performing Electrochemical experiments to investigate the emission of X-rays during electrochemical hydrogen loading of thin metallic films of Pd and Ni, 2. Monitoring t...

Measurements have been made of {sup 3}He, {sup 4}He, and {sup 3}H in a sample containing 2.7% of the gas from the interior of an Arata-style hollow palladium electrode charged with {approx}5 g Pd-black that had undergone electrolysis in D{sub 2}O as a cathode for 90 days and then as an anode for a further 83 days. There is no evidence for the much...

We made measurements of He-3, He-4 and H-3 in a sample with 2.7% of the gas from the interior of an Arata-style hollow palladium electrode charged with â 5 g Pd-black which had undergone electrolysis in D-2O as a cathode for 90 days and then as an anode for a further 83 days. There is no evidence for the much larger amounts of He-4 observed by Arat...

The effect of metal surface and metallurgical status, such as grain size, strain and dislocation, joints with geometrical shape of samples are studied in correlation with the occurrence of nuclear reactions in a solid. In particular, we focus our study on the double structure samples proposed for the first time by Prof. Arata.

We have observed numerous anomalies in carefully performed experimental studies of D/Pd and H/Pd systems, including quantitative correlation between an apparent nuclear product, ^4He, and the presence of an unexplained heat release. The problem of potential contamination from the high ambient ^4He background level (volumetric atmospheric concentrat...

The dynamics of the deuterons in a metal lattice reveal that the oscillating electric field produced by plasmons can accelerate the ions in the region of the tetrahedral sites, allowing collisions between the deuterons. The effect of plasmons on the nuclear decay process for the excited 4He is also studied, and the calculations show a possible shif...

Measurements have been made of ³He, ⁴He, and ³H in a sample containing 2.7% of the gas from the interior of an Arata-style hollow palladium electrode charged with â5 g Pd-black that had undergone electrolysis in DâO as a cathode for 90 days and then as an anode for a further 83 days. There is no evidence for the much larger amounts of ⁴He obs...

Measurements have been made of the temperature coefficient of resistivity, λ, versus hydrogen concentration, H/Pd, at very high concentrations in the Pd–H system. Unusually high hydrogen compositions were achieved using an electrochemical loading procedure which allowed stable Pd–H systems to be obtained. It is well known that increasing the H/Pd c...

Numerous observations have been made of apparent anomalies in carefully performed experimental studies of D/Pd and H/Pd systems. Such anomalies include: prompt emission of electrons and charged particles; unexplained heat in excess of known input sources; the residual presence of light elements (notably tritium, helium-3 and helium-4); the possible...

The ability of palladium cathodes to attain and maintain high loading levels, at high current density and for long times, is controlled by two factors: the condition of the electrochemical interface which allows the attainment of high deuterium activity; the defect density and mechanical condition of the bulk material which permits the Pd lattice t...

Measurement of electrical resistance is a convenient method for the determination of composition in a number of metal-hydrogen systems. For the β-phase of the H-Pd system, pertinent data from the literature are employed in order to construct a complete resistance-loading function at 298 K.

Although the application of ultrasound for the control and modulation of various chemical processes is a subject of continued interest [l], there is surprisingly little discus- sion in the recent literature of the effects of ultrasound on fundamental electrochemical processes. In early systematic studies of the hydrogen evolution reaction under aci...

We have tested our new Degree of Loading (DoL) cell design which can be directly transferred to the SRI mass flow calorimeter. We have shown that appropriately prepared Pd cathodes can reach high loadings in this new design and that the cells can be transferred to the calorimeter without degrading the cathode's or cell's performance. In all of the...

Isothermal calorimetric studies of the D/Pd and H/Pd systems have been carried out at high deuterium (hydrogen) loadings (i.e. [D(H)]/[Pd] > 0.9) at approximately 30°C. Under these conditions, the generation of “excess power” was observed in a series of deuterium-based experiments, but not in a hydrogen-based experiment. The results of these experi...

A technique for electrochemical measurement of the corrosion current (corrosion rate) determines the electrochemical parameters that are necessary to calculate the corrosion rate as they are contained in the harmonic current response to a moderate amplitude sinusoidal voltage perturbation applied to the corroding metallic component. The harmonic cu...

The frequency dependence of the impedance of the anodic film on Zr has been determined using ac impedance spectroscopy. This technique has been used to provide an in situ monitor of the thickness and resistance of the film during formation. The data suggest that the film can be modelled adequately by a parallel RC combination, with an additional se...

A coating technique based on (a) chemical vapor deposition, (b) fluidized bed technology and (c) subhalide chemistry was used to siliconize copper. Copper samples were siliconized in silicon beds kept at temperatures in the range 350–550 °C. Alternating current (a.c.) impedance measurements indicate that the corrosion resistance of the coated sampl...

Titanium, TiN and TiOx coatings were deposited on copper and Cu-Ni alloys by chemical vapor deposition in fluidized bed reactors. These coatings provide the copper with a tenfold increase in corrosion resistance in chloride aqueous environments, as determined by a.c. impedance studies.

Experiments have been performed to examine the anomalous effects associated with the D/Pd system, and to discover some of the experimental variables that might be important to the effects. Experiments were concerned with calorimetry of the D/Pd system, but also monitored those experimental variables that might be important in causing the effects: t...

A coating technique based on chemical vapor deposition (CVD) in a fluidized bed reactor (FBR) is described. To coat an article, we load the coating material as a powder in an FBR and fluidize it using an inert gas. The system is heated to operating temperature, and vapors of HBr are mixed with the fluidizing gas. The sample to be coated is suspende...

Studies of the impact on battery reliability as the Weibull characteristic life and the shape factor vary are reviewed. The life of batteries that incorporate switches that can remove failed cells from the active battery network is studied using Monte Carlo methodology with Weibull statistical distributions. Results for two load-leveling battery ne...

We interpret the impedance results of Part I of the paper in terms of an equivalent circuit composed of three series components: a resistive term and two reactive terms. It is postulated that the higher frequency relaxation (1 kHz to 5 MHz) arises from charge transfer at the β″ alumina interface, the lower frequency, relaxation (ω<5 MHz) from a War...

We have adapted the anion chain length model of Cleaver and Sime to predict the distribution of anions in a polysulfide melt, Na2Sx(1≤X≤6), as a function of composition the mole fraction of total sulfur. This was then used to calculate the EMF of a Na/S cell from Xs=0.75 to 0.56, where Xs is the mole fraction of sulfur. This range corresponds to th...

We have adapted the anion chain length model of Cleaver and Sime to predict the distribution of anions in a polysulfide melt, , as a function of composition the mole fraction of total sulfur. This was then used to calculate the EMF of a Na/S cell from , where is the mole fraction of sulfur. This range corresponds to the entire two‐phase region. The...

We interpret the impedance results of Part I of the paper in terms of an equivalent circuit composed of three series components: a resistive term and two reactive terms. It is postulated that the higher frequency relaxation (1 kHz to 5 mHz) arises from charge transfer at the β″ alumina interface, the lower frequency, relaxation from a Warburg imped...

The applicability of ac impedance spectroscopy for detecting corrosion on rebar in concrete is explored theoretically. Corroding rebar is simulated as a one-dimensional electrical transmission line of twenty one-meter segments embedded in a uniform concrete matrix with the corrosion being restricted to one segment. The simulations indicate that cor...

The report describes the results of a research program to simultaneously determine the mechanical and electrochemical process that occur within and near the tip of active stress corrosion and corrosion-fatigue cracks. Electrochemical/mechanical impedance analysis is one of the few techniques with this capability. Our approach was to make electroche...

Impedance measurements and photoeffect studies on nickel electrodes were carried out to characterize the oxide films on such electrodes. These measurements revealed some interesting fundamental aspects of NiO electrode behavior. We found that, depending on the electrode potential, an n-type or p-type semiconducting oxide can be present at the surfa...

Electrochemistry has undergone a revolution over the past two decades that has completely transformed existing experimental techniques and has led to the introduction of a myriad of new sophisticated methods for studying charge transfer processes at electrode/solution interfaces. The reason for this revolution was the introduction of integrated cir...

Je nach Elektrodenpotential kann an der Oberfläche einer Ni-Elektrode ein n- oder p-leitendes Oxid vorhanden sein, was unter Bestrahlung anodische bzw. kathodische Photoströme bewirkt.

Depending on the electrode potential an n-type or a p-type semiconducting oxide can be present at a Ni electrode surface giving rise, respectively, to anodic or cathodic potocurrents under illumination. Impedance measurements show that a solid-state diffusion process, presumably of protons through the oxide film, dominates the impedance behavior fo...

The results of studies of the mechanisms of dissolution and passivation of Fe and Zn electrodes in concentrated KOH, as these processes effect the charge/discharge characteristics of alkaline batteries are discussed. The experimental techniques principally employed were: potentiodynamic sweep voltammetry and coulometry, rotating disk and rotating r...

Probes have been developed for the in-plant measurement of pH, redox potential, and the concentration of hydrogen in water-cooled nuclear reactor heat transport systems. These devices make possible the continuous, on-line monitoring of these critical water chemistry parameters, providing early warning of potentially corrosive conditions, thus allow...

The objective of this study was to determine the extent to which galvanic coupling effects are significant in initiating and sustaining the corrosion process that leads to denting in the crevices formed between alloy 600 tubes and support-structure materials in nuclear steam generators. Particular emphasis has been placed on determining how crevice...

The application of relaxation techniques1 and steady state sinusoidal modulation (“ac impedance,” “ac polarography”) methods2–7 for the investigation of electrochemical phenomena has expanded rapidly over the past two decades. The various methods have been used to ascertain reaction mechanisms, particularly those for electrode processes involving o...

The present study investigates possible temperature limitations in Ni-Fe and Ni-Zn aqueous alkaline battery systems which are induced by kinetic or thermodynamic effects in the temperature range -20 to 120 C. The principal temperature limitation of Ni appears to be reduced Coulombic efficiency at high temperature as a result of the coevolution of o...

A temperature-compensated palladium resistance probe has been developed for in situ monitoring of the concentration of hydrogen in aqueous systems at elevated temperatures. The performance of the probe has been investigated in 0. 1 m B(OH)//3 at 275 degree C and for hydrogen concentrations ranging from 0 to 1. 5 ppm. In the absence of a high concen...

The rotating ring-disk electrode has been applied in this study to the related phenomena of dissolution, current oscillation, and passivation of zinc in concentrated aqueous NaOH. The results of potentiostatic and potentiodynamic experiments are compared with those of previous workers, and a physical model is proposed is proposed to describe the an...

A review is presented of the use of impedance techniques in corrosion science. Emphasis is placed on defining the type of data that is required in corrosion studies, and then comparing different methods for generating therequired information by electrochemical impedance methods. The performance characteristics of the various techniques, including c...

A rotating cylinder-collector electrode (RCCE) for the study of electrochemical processes that involve electroactive intermediates and/or products is described. Calibrations of the collector efficiencies (N) for both major and minor sectors have been performed using the ferri/ferrocyanide redox couple over a wide range of rotational velocity (225-3...

A collaborative effort has been established formally between SRI and ENEA researchers to test and demonstrate the cross-laboratory replicability of gas phase Pd/D2 excess heat, helium and tritium observations. Similar facilities are being established in both countries to allow on-line determination of heat effects correlated with helium-4, and ulti...

The electrochemical kinetic properties of the metals iron, nickel, and zinc have been studied in concentrated electrolyte, in the temperature range -20° to 120°C. Three electrolyte concentrations have been examined for iron and nickel, corresponding to 20, 24, and 28 wt % NaOH. Zinc has been studied in detail only in the highest concentration. Th...