The Electrical Properties of Interfacial Water and Their Applications

Abstract

The electrical properties of interfacial water [1] were explored to determine their capacity to deliver energy for practical applications. Interfacial water was created in the standard way, next to a sheet of hydrophilic membrane placed in a water-filled chamber. All measurements were done under room temperature and standard laboratory conditions in the absence of any external energy or light source, except for the ubiquitous infrared emissions from the normal environment [2]. Additionally, we designed and investigated different microelectrode systems to upscale the harvest of energy from interfacial water. Studies were also extended to understand the biological effects of atmospheric ions on interfacial water. Positive atmospheric ions were created by the coronal discharge technique. Using micropipette electrodes, the distribution of electrical potential in the interfacial water was measured and it was observed that beyond a threshold, positive ions diminished the magnitude of the negative electrical potential in the interfacial water. Additionally, positive ions produced by an air conditioner were observed to generate similar effects. In fact, sometimes the positive ion effect from air conditioner was strong enough to destroy the structure of interfacial water by turning its potential decidedly positive. Thus, positive air ions can compromise interfacial water negativity, and may well explain the known negative impact of positive ions on health ([3]-[4]).