NEUTRON EMISSION STUDIES DURING THE ELECTROLYSIS OF DEUTERIUM BY USING BACEO3 SOLID-ELECTROLYTE AND PALLADIUM ELECTRODES

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 establishment 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 electrolysis cell. No sustained increase in neutron counting is observed. Several bursts of about twice the background level are detected, especially during the period of high temperature when a large current (8 to 160 mA/cm(2)) is flowing through the cell, and are attributed to an anomaly of Poisson's distribution of the neutron background.