Submission + - 'Burning' Saltwater a New Energy Source? (post-gazette.com)
LanMan04 writes: From the Post-Gazette: For obvious reasons, scientists long have thought that salt water couldn't be burned.
So when John Kanzius announced he'd ignited salt water with the radio-frequency generator he'd invented, some thought it a was a hoax. "It's true, it works," Dr. Rustum Roy (Penn State University chemist) said. "Everyone told me, 'Rustum, don't be fooled. He put electrodes in there.'" But there are no electrodes and no gimmicks, he said.
The salt water isn't burning per se, despite appearances. The radio frequency actually weakens bonds holding together the constituents of salt water — sodium chloride, hydrogen and oxygen — and releases the hydrogen, which, once ignited, burns continuously when exposed to the RF energy field. An independent source measured the flame's temperature, which exceeds 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit. (Video of demonstration, more information)
The salt water isn't burning per se, despite appearances. The radio frequency actually weakens bonds holding together the constituents of salt water — sodium chloride, hydrogen and oxygen — and releases the hydrogen, which, once ignited, burns continuously when exposed to the RF energy field. An independent source measured the flame's temperature, which exceeds 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit. (Video of demonstration, more information)
