Material surface treatment method using concurrent electrical and photonic stimulation

Abstract

A material surface treatment protocol uses concurrent electrical, vibrational, and photonic stimulation to generate an exothermic reaction and coat the surface of a material, such as palladium. This protocol is performed at or near the boiling point of water within a sealed vessel that prevents the escape of steam and that is lined with silica or a similar glass to increase the silica available to the reaction. The great majority of the applied energy is heat used to elevate the temperature to near the boiling point, while concurrent stimulations provide only about 100 mW of additional energy for the surface treatment.

1 . A method of preparing materials at or near their surfaces, comprising:
 preparing a solution of an electrolyte in a liquid;   heating and maintaining the solution at an elevated temperature to within 5° C. of the boiling point in a sealed vessel;   electrically stimulating two or more conductive electrodes immersed within the solution over an extended time period by applying a voltage between electrodes, at least one of the electrodes having a surface to be treated thereby and in intimate contact with a source of silica; and   photonically stimulating the solution with illumination from a light source.   
     
     
         2 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the liquid for the solution comprises water. 
     
     
         3 . The method as in  claim 2 , wherein the water is predominantly light water (H 2 O). 
     
     
         4 . The method as in  claim 2 , wherein the water is a combination of light water (H 2 O) and heavy water (D 2 O). 
     
     
         5 . The method as in  claim 2 , wherein the water is predominantly heavy water (D 2 O). 
     
     
         6 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte comprises a lithium salt. 
     
     
         7 . The method as in  claim 6 , wherein the lithium salt comprises lithium sulfate (Li 2 SO 4 ). 
     
     
         8 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein a surfactant is added to the solution. 
     
     
         9 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein a buffering agent is added to the solution so as to maintain a pH in a range from 6.5 to 8.9. 
     
     
         10 . The method as in  claim 9 , wherein the buffering agent is EDTA. 
     
     
         11 . The method as in  claim 9 , wherein the buffering agent is citric acid. 
     
     
         12 . The method in  claim 1 , wherein the solution in the sealed vessel is heated above its boiling point at atmospheric pressure and its pressure rises above one standard atmosphere. 
     
     
         13 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the sealed vessel comprises a glass- or silica-lined metallic vessel with ports for the metallic electrodes and for one or more thermocouples. 
     
     
         14 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the solution in the sealed vessel is blanketed with a gas. 
     
     
         15 . The method as in  claim 14 , wherein the gas comprises hydrogen, helium, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         16 . The method as in  claim 14 , wherein the solution is saturated with the blanketing gas. 
     
     
         17 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the conductive electrodes are metal. 
     
     
         18 . The method as in  claim 17 , wherein the metal comprises one or more of palladium, silver, platinum and gold. 
     
     
         19 . The method as in  claim 17 , wherein the conductive electrodes are of the same metal. 
     
     
         20 . The method as in  claim 17 , wherein the conductive electrodes are of dissimilar metals. 
     
     
         21 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the electrodes is a conductive material other than metal. 
     
     
         22 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the electrodes is coated with silica. 
     
     
         23 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the electrodes is coated with a silicate. 
     
     
         24 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein a source of the silica in contact with the electrodes comprises a silica compound in suspension in the water. 
     
     
         25 . The method as in  claim 24 , wherein a chelating agent facilitates the suspension of the silica compound. 
     
     
         26 . The method as in  claim 25 , wherein the chelating agent is EDTA. 
     
     
         27 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein a source of the silica comprises a lithium silicate. 
     
     
         28 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein a source of the silica in contact with the electrodes comprises a silica compound in solution. 
     
     
         29 . The method as in  claim 28 , wherein the silica compound in solution comprises an anionic silica hydride. 
     
     
         30 . The method as in  claim 29 , wherein the anionic silica hydride comprises a silsesquioxane composition. 
     
     
         31 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein a source of the silica comprises one or more silica or glass beads threaded over the one or more electrodes being surface treated. 
     
     
         32 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein a source of silica lies within the composition of the electrode. 
     
     
         33 . The method as in  claim 32 , wherein a source of silica comprises an electrode consisting of sintered metal and silica. 
     
     
         34 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein a source of silica includes a silica or glass lining of the sealed vessel. 
     
     
         35 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the sealed vessel is lined with a piezoelectric material. 
     
     
         36 . The method as in  claim 35 , wherein the piezoelectric material is a porcelain glaze. 
     
     
         37 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the electrical and photonic stimuli are applied concurrently. 
     
     
         38 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the electrical and photonic stimuli are applied sequentially. 
     
     
         39 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the electrical stimulation is a direct current voltage. 
     
     
         40 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the electrical stimulation is an alternating current voltage. 
     
     
         41 . The method as in  claim 40 , wherein the alternating current voltage has frequencies in the RF range. 
     
     
         42 . The method as in  claim 41 , wherein the alternating current voltage has frequencies coinciding with absorptive spectra of components in the solution. 
     
     
         43 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the electrical stimulation comprise an RF comb of spectra with spaced peaks in a range of 1 MHz to 200 MHz, at least some of said peaks coinciding with molecular vibrational resonance frequencies in the solution. 
     
     
         44 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the electrical stimulation comprises a sinusoidal signal have a frequency between 1 MHz and 20 MHz added to another sinusoidal signal having a frequency between 25 MHz and 100 MHz. 
     
     
         45 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the electrical stimulation comprises a replication of electrical energy emitted during a desired exothermic reaction. 
     
     
         46 . The method as in  claim 45 , wherein the electrical stimulation replicates the emitted energy but with greater amplitude. 
     
     
         47 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the electrical stimulation is a direct current voltage and an alternating current voltage applied concurrently between separate anodes and a common cathode. 
     
     
         48 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the electrical stimulation is a direct current voltage and an alternating current voltage applied concurrently between a common anode and a common cathode. 
     
     
         49 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the electrical stimulation is a direct current voltage and an alternating current voltage applied sequentially between separate anodes and a common cathode. 
     
     
         50 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the electrical stimulation is a direct current voltage and an alternating current voltage applied sequentially between a common anode and a common cathode. 
     
     
         51 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the light source providing the photonic stimulation of the solution is modulated. 
     
     
         52 . The method as in  claim 51 , wherein the light source is square-wave modulated. 
     
     
         53 . The method as in  claim 51 , wherein the light source is pulse-modulated. 
     
     
         54 . The method as in  claim 51 , wherein the light source is modulated with a frequency that varies or hops. 
     
     
         55 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the light source providing the photonic stimulation of the solution comprises a set of intensity-modulated light emitting diodes directing light pulses into the solution. 
     
     
         56 . The method as in  claim 55 , wherein the light emitting diodes are white. 
     
     
         57 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the electrical and photonic stimulation are provided over an extended time period of at least 40 minutes and in which at least a specified number of heat bursts have been detected. 
     
     
         58 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the combination of electrical and photonic stimulation of the electrodes and electrolytic solution is such as to stimulate a quantum effect that affects the wave-particle duality of the electrons as they migrate across the solution toward the electrodes. 
     
     
         59 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the combination of electrical and photonic stimulation of the electrodes and electrolytic solution is such as to modify the surface of at least one of the electrodes so as to facilitate electron tunneling at that surface.