Neutron emission and the tritium content associated with deuterium-loaded palladium and titanium metals

Abstract

An experimental investigation has been conducted on samples of palladium and titanium metals which have been loaded with deuterium through the electrolysis of D₂O and by absorption of D₂ gas. In approximately 200 experiments on 25 cells, statistically significant evidence for neutron emission was obtained in three separate experiments from one palladium cathode. Observed rates are 3–4 times the background rate and correspond to source strengths up to 50 neutrons/min. The pulse height response of the NE213 liquid scintillator-based detectors corresponds to that expected for 2.45 MeV neutrons. Tritium has been identified in nine Pd−Ni electrolytic cells, at levels corresponding 10¹²–10¹⁶ atoms. Activity buildup curves indicate that the apparent production occurs over a time period as short as a few hours.