ELECfROCHEMICAL CALORIMETRIC STUDIES OF TIIE COLD FUSION EFFECf

Several types of calorimetric cell designs were used in attempts to measure excess enthalpy during the electrolysis of LiODID20 using palladium cathodes. Control experiments were run by using light water in place of D20 or by using platinum cathodes in place of palladium. Initial experiments using thin palladium cathodes of an unknown purity gave no significant differences between the PdlD20 cells and the controls. For example, the ratio of heat out to Joule heat in was 1.00 ±O.04 for one study and 1.065 ±O.04 for another study in LiODID20 compared to 1.075 ±O.07 in LiOHlH20. The use of a much thicker palladium rod (99.96%, d = 0.635 cm) from Johnson Matthey, however, resulted in calorimetric evidence for excess enthalpy in five out of six cells. The excess rate of heating averaged 0.39 W /cm3 over a 9-day period in one experiment. The total excess enthalpy observed was 110,000 J. This excess enthalpy is difficult to explain by chemical reactions. Similar experiments conducted in H20 did not produce significant amounts of excess enthalpy. Possible experimental errors in these calorimetric studies are being investigated.