Explosive tin?

[Jones Beene]

Probably the coolest thing <G> (as in cryogenic coolness), that any aging scientist could imagine (as proof of a certain adage) would be to make a major prediction based on a pet theory and have it quickly validated, to the surprise of everyone, including himself. That adage is  "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing"... playing with ideas that is - as in the case of some of the older pranksters who frequent this forum.    This validation may not happen anytime soon for anyone on vortex; certainly the betting-odds against it ever happening are astronomical ... But being no shrinking ultraviolet, and ever hopeful of finding an easy route to capturing the enormous free-energy of ZPE, I am going to toss out a long-shot but very detailed prediction anyway.   The prediction involves the element tin.   Tin is probably the most remarkable and oddest element in the periodic table. Antimony may be way up there, but tin may be a better bet for potential explosiveness, and (off-the-books) ballotechnic energy potential. Like antimony, it was an element prized by alchemists, who gave it the same symbol as Jupiter, the largest planet. No doubt but that anyone trying this, and failing, will be labeled a neo-alchemist. Hey, following in Newton's footsteps (probably the greatest genius of all times) isn't too shabby.... he failed on this one too. But nowadays, success will bring you much more reward than merely turning tin into gold.   Tin exists in three allotropic forms. Below 18°C, the stable form is α-tin, or grey tin, with a diamond-like structure and a density of 5.765 g/cc. The lattice constant a = 0.69 nm, which is ideal for this, and the melting point is 230°C. It is a semiconductor and crumbly gray *nonmetal.* From 18°C to 161°C, the stable form is β-tin, or white tin, a metal of tetragonal crystal structure and a density of 7.2984, once used to rust-proof cans.   This is almost a 27% density variation across that 18°C marker !   Prediction: Highly particulated grey tin, aged at low temperature, can possibly cohere ZPE energy as mass-gain and then release it with a large exotherm of energy, about 100 times more kJ, pound for pound, than gasoline burning in air. IF, that is, this pet theory can be extended in a linear fashion beyond the shaky evidence of antimony and ice. Wow... building a theory on a foundation of ice... now that takes some playful chutzpah, no?   The tin can be reused over and over. The energy comes from the Casimir/ZPE realm, and ultimately from Dirac's sea. Moreover this is technically a chemical reaction and non-nuclear, since it involves the displacement of electrons, but that is to be accomplished by Casimir forces and not by redox. This would of course open up a whole new branch of science.... why be modest, now?   The process would involve the very rapid heating of the cyro-tin, preferably using a laser or electric arc. At a slow to moderate rate of heating, the "potential mass gain" available at the cryogenic interface will not take place and the potential excess mass in multiples of 6.8 eV will revert back into reciprocal space and not be cohered. Each of the 50 electrons of Sn can possibly gain 6.8 eV or more, hypothetically, depending on how the transitory density loss is expressed, and given enough cold-time (the "ageing"), and that maximum boost would never be expected in a short cooling period. How fast the heating stage must be for maximum coherence is not clear, either, but it probably will be the equivalent of shock-wave rates of acceleration (or jerk). The electron flux of an electric arc should be adequate.   The best way to do this commercially that I can imagine now, would involve a factory scale power plant, with efficient cryogenic equipment using the Linde method (which is essentially a king-sized multi-staged heat pump with a COP of about 4...and all the other equipment necessary to create a slush of powdered tin in liquid argon, aged at far below 18°C for several days or weeks prior to use.  When squeezed through an electrode of an electric arc, the Casimir interaction would be working against the internal strain of allotropic compression (in order to regain the higher density the normal way) which should provide as much as 65,000 cal/g (based on the antimony explosive energy and the lesser density variation there). If this is translated to the liquid argon and then expanded through a turbine, 40% or more of the energy should be captured, some of it recycled to the arc, the rest sold, and the exhaust can be captured and reused. This would probably be better suited for factory-scale than transportation-scale. No one has any idea what would be the repercussions of this much ZPE being drained from one location.   I have found absolutely no hint, in a few hours of goggling, that anything like this has ever been tried or contemplated using tin. Robert Forward developed the idea of mass gain at low temperature, and some of his work was funded by NASA and never released. Finding the correct "translation medium" for the effect is key - obviously if H2 and O2 experience this kind of incredible density allotropy like tin does, we might be on our way to Alpha Centauri now.   How would one attempt to confirm the idea on a small scale? That would likely require a fairly robust laser and a small amount of cryo-aged tin being irradiated very quickly. This should provide soft x-rays to document an unusual energy gain, and when using the CR-39 method, the evidence is preserved better than any meter... if, that is, there is any doubt after the flash of the explosion ;-).   Jones   ... the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, often are the ones who do."      -- from "Think Different," an Apple Computer Ad