J. Jorne, NEUTRON EMISSION STUDIES DURING THE ELECTROLYSIS OF DEUTERIUM BY USING BACEO3 SOLID-ELECTROLYTE AND PALLADIUM ELECTRODES, Fusion technology, 26(3), 1994, pp. 244-247
The deuterium loading of palladium by electrolysis in the gas phase is
achieved by using BaCeO3 at 600 to 800 degrees C. The electrochemical
cell (-) D-2 (1 atm), Pd\BaCeO3\Pd, D-2 (1 atm) (+) enables the estab
lishment of a large overpotential on the porous palladium cathode. The
emission of neutrons, beyond the background level, is searched by 20
He-3 neutron counters, radially mounted and shielded around the electr
olysis cell. No sustained increase in neutron counting is observed. Se
veral bursts of about twice the background level are detected, especia
lly during the period of high temperature when a large current (8 to 1
60 mA/cm(2)) is flowing through the cell, and are attributed to an ano
maly of Poisson's distribution of the neutron background.