These guys studied amorphous Pd nanoparticles: http://www.sci.unich.it/~dalessandro/letteratura_chimica_pdf/2003_0236.pdf
Of course, in order to get a broad range of crack sizes, one must have a wide range of sizes of amorphous Pd particles -- not just nanoparticles. Unfortunately, most of the search results for amorphous Pd out there return various Pd-based alloys -- not pure Pd. On Sat, Mar 22, 2014 at 6:02 PM, James Bowery <jabow...@gmail.com> wrote: > Nanometer scale metallic glass particles would appear to be a natural > result of this method of metal nanoparticle > synthesis<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanoparticle#Synthesis> > : > > Inert-gas condensation is frequently used to make nanoparticles from > metals with low melting points. The metal is vaporized in a vacuum chamber > and then supercooled with an inert gas stream. The supercooled metal vapor > condenses into nanometer-size particles, which can be entrained in the > inert gas stream and deposited on a substrate or studied in situ. > > > On Sat, Mar 22, 2014 at 4:46 PM, a.ashfield <a.ashfi...@verizon.net>wrote: > >> James >> Bowery<http://www.mail-archive.com/search?l=vortex-l@eskimo.com&q=from:%22James+Bowery%22> >> Sat, >> 22 Mar 2014 14:14:49 >> -0700<http://www.mail-archive.com/search?l=vortex-l@eskimo.com&q=date:20140322> >> >> > It sounds like amorphous metals may be a fruitful avenue of research. >> >> Yes, I imagine abrasion would cause lots of surface cracks on an amorphous >> metal - if it behaves like glass. >> I had wondered in the past whether the surface preparation of the palladium >> electrodes was one of the keys. >> >> Don't know how to develop cracks in a powdered material. I suppose that if >> the material is not too ductile, just the >> formation of the powder in a ball mill would do it. SO experimenting with >> the ball mill might be one possibility. >> >> >
