Re: Innovative methods

[Dave Everett <deverett@idx.com.au>]

At 12:58 13-03-99 -0800, you wrote:
>Dave Irons asked about innovative methods to build a submersible or
>habitat.  I read about a novel method and material some time ago which I
>hope some other members will help recall details of.  The method was to
>build a mesh of conductive material (like steel) in the shape of the
>desired walls and submerge it in sea water, then apply a small charge to
>it over a period of weeks (or months).  The dissolved material in the
>sea water would "plate out" on the mesh and eventually build up a wall
>of great strength.  The author said the wall was stronger than concrete
>and the material was free except for the cost of the electricity.  I
>immediately envisioned a wave action generator to provide the
>electricity and huge complexes of underwater habitats which were kept
>supplied with oxygen by hydrolysis of sea water from the same
>electricity after initial construction.  This is pretty wild stuff but
>it seemed technically feasible.  Comments!?
>
It doesn't seem likely.

'Electroysis' requires a DC voltage which means you need two electrodes. In
this case you could have another mesh just inside the first mesh. As fas as
plating goes, to get plating you need to apply a voltage of greater than
1.26V, this however would simply plate the metal out of one electrode into
the other.

The voltage would rip apart the water molecules and you would find the
hydrogen and oxygen heading for the surface and the salt converted into
chlorine.

Sounds pretty disasterous to me.

Dave Everett.