[NewCandle] silver and hydrolysis transmutation update

[Nick Reiter]

On another topic or two.

The little tube with Keith's proposed long term Al-Ag
experiment has now been sitting on a high shelf for
about 2 months.  I peeped at it and took some photos
at about 1 month, and again the other day.  Sooner or
later I will get a pic to Keith for placing in the
archive.  I keep forgetting to get it off my work
computer and send it.

Essentially, two interesting things began to happen. 
One, there was a condensation of silver dendrites. 
The "seed" volume of AgNO3 I added should have
provided about 1mg of Ag and no more.  Now curiously,
it looks like there may be about that much, however
the Ag dendrites are floating about midway up the
tube, suspended at a level I would guess is defined by
density of the solution or temperature.  IOW, the
silver is in a little "cloud", not attached to the Al
sample.  And it just hangs there.

Secondly, there is a slowly growing and shedding
brownish-gray powder or scale on the Al surface.  Its
not dendritic though, as far as I can tell, and not
really silver colored.  At T+2 months, a little pile
of it is at the bottom of the test tube.

When Captain Forgetful sends the pic, y'all can see.

Now with respect to "Pixie" hydrolysis buckets.  Past
month has seen two, Pixie 8 and Pixie 9.  Pixie 8 was
the usual volumes and masses of solution and Al foil
rolls, in a brine of epsom salt (MgSO4)  Sam and I
wanted to try that, in light of the peculiar but
published work by Lakshmanan re: energy release via
cavitation in an epsom salt solution.  Pixie 9 was
hydrolysis with brine of KBr, instead of KCl.

MgSO4 really was a bit of a dog.  Very little
hydrolysis and gas evolution, maybe .5 liter or so
used from the bucket.  EDS on foil turn samples really
was pretty bland also, not much in the way of
post-reaction anomalies.  Some curious appearance of
fractional % (in EDS terms debatable) Na.

The KBr run was a little more vigorous in bubbling,
but again, in post analysis with EDS, meh.  Some Cl
showed up surprisingly, and seemed to be a real signal
of about 1%at but I know I had one event where the
towel covering the bucket fell in, and there may have
been something salty on that, who knows.  And maybe
KBr has a natural amount of KCl in it as well.  Still
looking at that.

Upcoming, is at least one bucket run using CsCl as the
hydrolysis salt.  Getting exotic there, but Sam and I
wanted to explore that column for transmutation
potential (Li-Na-K-Cs).

Simply in terms of vigor and efficiency of hydrolysis,
NaCl seems to be king.  LiCl was a dog, and KCl
diminished a bit.

Best,

nr

The Holy Grail 'neath ancient Roslin waits.
The blade and chalice guarding o'er Her gates. 
Adorned in the masters' loving art, She lies;
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