At the 25th International Conference on Condensed Matter Nuclear Science (ICCF-25), held from August 25–31, 2023 in Szczecin, Poland, FutureOn S.r.l. presented its latest experimental results on the detection of high-density hydrogen isotope states—a potentially key condition for enabling Low Energy Nuclear Reactions (LENR).
The work was presented by Guido Parchi on behalf of a multidisciplinary team composed of Ugo Abundo, Gianluca De Vita, Federico Galli, Davide Imperatori, Christophe Le Roux (CNRS Toulouse), Giorgio Vassallo (University of Palermo), and Marco Zecchiaroli. The study is conducted within the framework of the European CleanHME Project, funded under the EU Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (Grant Agreement No. 951974).
Innovative Experimental Approach
FutureOn developed a custom-built ion accelerator designed to test collisions between deuteron ion beams and a variety of target materials, including metals, ceramics and specially engineered catalysts. The main goal was to investigate the formation of high-density hydrogen or deuterium states (H(0)/D(0)), as theorized by L. Holmlid and colleagues.
In the first series of experiments, various materials were tested under identical conditions to measure the corresponding neutron or neutron-like particle production rate (NPR). Targets included titanium, tungsten, iron, alumina, iron oxide, and two types of catalysts: an industrial potassium-promoted iron oxide and a lithium-6 doped iron oxide catalyst supplied by CNRS.
Key Results
- The K-doped iron oxide catalyst achieved the highest neutron count rate at –60 kV, surpassing titanium—the standard material used in industrial neutron generators—by a factor of 5.
- The 6Li-doped iron oxide catalyst also displayed enhanced performance compared to standard metal oxides.
- These results support the hypothesis that certain catalysts can host ultra-dense hydrogen clusters, facilitating nuclear processes more efficiently than traditional metallic targets.
Second Series of Experiments: Combining Ion Beam and Catalyzed D₂ Flow
Building on the initial results, FutureOn integrated a heated catalytic bed flushed with deuterium gas into the setup. This allowed the team to direct a catalyzed D₂ outflow onto the target surface simultaneously with the ion beam.
- When applied to titanium targets, this configuration led to an impressive 61% increase in neutron production at –50 kV.
- For K-doped iron oxide targets, the effect was more limited (+18%) and in some conditions slightly negative.
- These early findings suggest that metallic surfaces, particularly titanium, may efficiently retain high-density deuterium clusters produced by the catalytic bed.
Scientific Relevance and Next Steps
The results presented at ICCF-25 reinforce the hypothesis—supported by the scientific literature—that stable high-density hydrogen states can form on certain catalytic surfaces and could act as a precursor to nuclear reactions at low energies.
If confirmed by further experimentation, these discoveries may play a crucial role in the development of next-generation LENR reactors capable of producing clean and efficient energy.
FutureOn plans to continue testing upgraded configurations to better control the formation and ignition of high-density deuterium layers, potentially approaching the Lawson criterion at localized scales.
Acknowledgements
This research is part of the CleanHME Project and has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 programme under Grant Agreement No. 951974.
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Presentation
You can view or download the poster presentation here 