Material surface treatment method using concurrent electrical and photonic stimulation

Abstract

A material surface treatment protocol (e.g., FIG. 13 ) uses concurrent electronic and photonic stimulation to generate an exothermic reaction and coat the surface (e.g., FIGS. 8 and 9 ) 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.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of preparing materials at or near their surfaces, comprising:
 preparing a solution including a lithium silicate, in a liquid;   heating and maintaining the solution at an elevated temperature to within 5° C. of the boiling point in a sealed reactor;   photonically stimulating the solution with illumination from a light source; and   electrically stimulating two or more conductive electrodes immersed within the solution over an extended time period by applying a voltage between electrodes such that an exothermic reaction occurs evidenced by measured temperature increases during such electrical and photonic stimulating, at least one of the electrodes having a surface to be treated thereby and in intimate contact with a source of silicaceous material, wherein at least one electrode being treated experiences local vaporization of the solution.   
     
     
         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 a surfactant is added to the solution. 
     
     
         7 . 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. 
     
     
         8 . The method in  claim 1 , wherein the solution in the sealed reactor is heated above its boiling point at atmospheric pressure and its pressure rises above one standard atmosphere. 
     
     
         9 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the sealed reactor comprises a glass- or silica-lined vessel with ports for the electrodes and for one or more thermocouples. 
     
     
         10 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the solution in the sealed reactor is blanketed with a gas. 
     
     
         11 . The method as in  claim 10 , wherein the gas comprises hydrogen, helium, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         12 . The method as in  claim 10 , wherein the solution is saturated with the blanketing gas. 
     
     
         13 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the sealed reactor is lined with a piezoelectric material. 
     
     
         14 . The method as in  claim 13 , wherein the piezoelectric material is a porcelain glaze. 
     
     
         15 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the light source providing the photonic stimulation of the solution comprises a set of modulated light emitting diodes. 
     
     
         16 . The method as in  claim 15 , wherein the light emitting diodes are white. 
     
     
         17 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the electrical and photonic stimulation are provided over an extended time period of at least 40 minutes. 
     
     
         18 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the solution includes at least one electrolyte other than lithium silicate. 
     
     
         19 . The method as in  claim 18 , wherein the electrolyte comprises a lithium salt. 
     
     
         20 . The method as in  claim 19 , wherein the lithium salt comprises lithium sulfate (Li 2 SO 4 ). 
     
     
         21 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the electrodes is coated with silicaceous material. 
     
     
         22 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein a source of the silicaceous material in contact with the electrodes comprises a silica compound in suspension in the water. 
     
     
         23 . The method as in  claim 22 , wherein a chelating agent facilitates the suspension of the silica compound. 
     
     
         24 . The method as in  claim 23 , wherein the chelating agent is EDTA. 
     
     
         25 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein a source of the silicaceous material in contact with the electrodes comprises a silica compound in solution. 
     
     
         26 . The method as in  claim 25 , wherein the silica compound in solution comprises a silsesquioxane composition. 
     
     
         27 . The method as in  claim 26 , wherein the silsesquioxane composition comprises anionic silica hydride. 
     
     
         28 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein a source of the silicaceous material comprises one or more silica or glass beads threaded over the one or more electrodes being surface treated. 
     
     
         29 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein a source of silicaceous material lies within the composition of the electrode. 
     
     
         30 . The method as in  claim 29 , wherein a source of silicaceous material comprises an electrode consisting of sintered metal and silica. 
     
     
         31 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein a source of silicaceous material includes a silica or glass lining of the sealed reactor. 
     
     
         32 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the lithium silicate is introduced into the reactor as an initial ingredient. 
     
     
         33 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the lithium silicate is a reaction product of initial ingredients of preparing the solution. 
     
     
         34 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the lithium silicate comprises a silicaceous ring molecule with a lithium ion contained within the ring. 
     
     
         35 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the lithium silicate comprises a silicaceous cage molecule with a lithium ion contained within the cage. 
     
     
         36 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the conductive electrodes are metal. 
     
     
         37 . The method as in  claim 36 , wherein the metal comprises one or more of palladium, silver, platinum and gold. 
     
     
         38 . The method as in  claim 36 , wherein the conductive electrodes are of the same metal. 
     
     
         39 . The method as in  claim 36 , wherein the conductive electrodes are of dissimilar metals. 
     
     
         40 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the electrodes is a conductive material other than metal. 
     
     
         41 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the electrical and photonic stimuli are applied concurrently. 
     
     
         42 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the electrical and photonic stimuli are applied sequentially. 
     
     
         43 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the electrical stimulation comprise a complex RF signal with at least some spectral components 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 is a direct current voltage. 
     
     
         46 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the electrical stimulation is an alternating current voltage. 
     
     
         47 . The method as in  claim 46 , wherein the alternating current voltage has frequencies in the RF range. 
     
     
         48 . The method as in  claim 47 , wherein the alternating current voltage has frequencies coinciding with absorptive spectra of components in the solution. 
     
     
         49 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the electrical stimulation comprises a replication of an electrical waveform emitted during a desired exothermic reaction. 
     
     
         50 . 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. 
     
     
         51 . 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. 
     
     
         52 . 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. 
     
     
         53 . 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. 
     
     
         54 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the light source providing the photonic stimulation of the solution is modulated. 
     
     
         55 . The method as in  claim 54 , wherein the light source is square-wave modulated. 
     
     
         56 . The method as in  claim 54 , wherein the light source is pulse-modulated. 
     
     
         57 . The method as in  claim 54 , wherein the light source is modulated with a frequency that varies or hops.