This discussion is very interesting. When performed with pulsed currents, the electrolysis of water led to some kind of reactions which are not described in high school manuals.
Wet Plasma LENR UK Patent 1989.
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QuoteWhen performed with pulsed currents, the electrolysis of water led to some kind of reactions which are not described in high school manuals.
In 2007 radio-engineer John Kanzius developed an apparatus for cancer treatment by polarized radiowaves in 13 MHz frequency range. During desalination tests of his device with tube filled by marine watter (~ 3% solution of NaCl) he observed an evolution of hydrogen, which can be ignited by lighter (video 1, 2). Experiments were confirmed and replicated (1, 2) by Rustum Roy, a materials scientist at Pennsylvania State University. During it the excess of energy has been also observed and the production of hydrogen did run with higher than Faradaic efficiency reportedly.
scheme of John Kanzius experiment photos of John Kanzius experiment
As far I'm concerned, John Kanzius published two papers (1, 2) in cooperation with another famous scientist Dr. Rustum Roy. The second published paper describes how having confirmed the observation on YouTube (3, 4) in John Kanzius’ lab in Erie, Philadelphia, the radiation source was brought to Roy’s microwave lab at Penn State University for a series of experiments. The maximum power for most experiments was about 300 W and the frequency of the polarized radio frequency beam was in the range of 13.56 MHz. The radio wave was aimed at pyrex test tubes containing solutions of 0.1 to 30 percent salt (NaCl), held upright by a Teflon stand and individually introduced into the RF (radio frequency) cavity. The gases at the top of the liquid surface were lit by means of a lighter. The solutions typically sustained a continuous flame till the water was exhausted. The temperature of the flame was about 1 800 C. Deionized water either in Silica glass or in PTFE (not shown here) do not ignite. At 3 percent NaCl (about sea water concentration), the results presented in the YouTube were confirmed. Larger flame sizes of about 4-5 inches were obtained with higher salt concentrations. Immediately after the power is turned on, the flammable gas can be ignited, and it extinguishes instantly as the power is turned off. The smallest flame was sustained at 1 percent NaCl (see figure bellow). They also showed that the Raman spectrum of the saline solutions before and after exposure to RF field differ dramatically in the 3000 to 3500 cm-1 region indicating that the structure of the water after exposure to the RF field has been very substantially changed, specifically with respect to the O-H bond.
Figure1 (Burning water at different NaCl concentrations; a, 0.3 percent; b, 3.0 percent; c, 30 percent) John Kanzius in Penn State University Lab
What is striking for me is the size of flame produced with input RF power just 300 Watts. IMO the flame generated provides more energy than energy supplied and this impression was later confirmed with John Kanzius himself, but without exact COP numbers given. He died of leukemia in 2009, so he unfortunately didn't manage to finish his work.
In 1982, a team of chemists at Western Illinois University reported the room-temperature decomposition of water vapour into hydrogen peroxide and hydrogen using radio frequency waves with around 60 percent yield [S Roychowdhury et al, Plasma Chem. Plasma Process., 1982, 2, 157]. They too used precisely the same frequency of 13.56 MHz - no coincidence really, since this is a common frequency for radio frequency generators. And in 1993 a Russian team reported the apparent dissociation of water into hydrogen and hydroxyl radicals using microwaves [V L Vaks et al, Radiophys. Quantum Electron. 1994, 37, 85]. Neither paper was cited by Kanzius and Roy.
Note that the John Kanzius device doesn't actually split water into a hydrogen and oxygen, as this mixture (so-called the Brown gas) is highly explosive and it definitely doesn't burn with quiet incandescent flame. I presume, it splits the water into hydrogen and peroxide radicale insted. Peroxide radical recombines into a hydrogen peroxide, which has higher boiling point, so it remains in solution and only hydrogen escapes. But such a splitting is interesting the more, as the mixture of hydrogen and peroxide radical shouldn't form side-to-side during single reaction, as first component is of reductive and later one of oxidative nature. I'm explaining it with equilibrial conditions of reaction in similar way, like the formation of hellium-4 during cold fusion. Note also, that electrolytic splitting of water is well-known. But, as takes at least 1.23V to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. But 13.56 MHz RF beam delivers at most 10-8 of the energy required, i.e. we are facing Coulombic barrier of the same range like with cold fusion. I'd guess it's because of the same mechanism.
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Some people objected, that alleged flame could be actually RF arc as they don't see any hydrogen released from test tubes. But evolution of hydrogen occurs at the very end of test tube only (standing EM wave establishes itself) and evolving hydrogen can be ignited with lighter. Anyway, because of fascinating mechanism this phenomena deserves replication on its very own.
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the polarized radio frequency beam was in the range of 13.56 MHz.
The recoil part of the Lamb shift energy of Hydrogen (H-H) is 13.4 Mhz. (Mills 2.157) This should be a bit higher for O-H. What else?
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The maximum power for most experiments was about 300 W and the frequency of the polarized radio frequency beam was in the range of 13.56 MHz.
A very common ISM band, not necessarily important of itself.
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A lecture but don’t be bored.18:40
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if you make it through the first lecture this is number two.External Content youtu.beContent embedded from external sources will not be displayed without your consent.Through the activation of external content, you agree that personal data may be transferred to third party platforms. We have provided more information on this in our privacy policy. -
A lecture but don’t be bored.18:40
External Content youtu.beContent embedded from external sources will not be displayed without your consent.Through the activation of external content, you agree that personal data may be transferred to third party platforms. We have provided more information on this in our privacy policy.
if you make it through the first lecture this is number two.External Content youtu.beContent embedded from external sources will not be displayed without your consent.Through the activation of external content, you agree that personal data may be transferred to third party platforms. We have provided more information on this in our privacy policy.Thanks for this.
