Palladium metallurgy and cold fusion: Some remarks

Abstract

In this paper the recent confusion surrounding claims for the observation of cold fusion involving palladium electrodes in electrochemical cells containing deuterium might be clarified to some extent if the palladium metallurgy, particularly in the context of fundamental microstructures, are accurately defined. Both the palladium/hydrogen and palladium/deuterium systems have been extensively investigated, and it is asserted more than two decades ago that the palladium/hydrogen system was perhaps the most extensively, experimentally investigated metal/gas system. Ordinary hydrogen absorbed in palladium fused to form helium, while in the 1940's Wilner actually observed the fusion reaction at the center of the current cold fusion controversy: d + d {yields} {sup 3}He + n (where d = {sup 2}H represents a deuteron, and n is a neutron). In the experiment by Wilner, a deuterium-saturated palladium sheet was bombarded with accelerated deuterons. The product neutrons (n) were slowed by paraffin wax and detected by the activation of silver.