by thrival » Sun Aug 14, 2005 9:32 pm
Kevinsatterfield:
Cool.
I read the patent, they make it sound complicated and beyond the reach of kitchen chemists.
OK, they say gamma rays or ions in really high dose rates, in a vacuum. A microwave oven can fit into a large plastic trash bag, the air evacuated by vacuum cleaner. I wonder then, if just nuking some teflon or polyethylene sheet in the microwave, followed by immersion in sulfuric acid, might work. If I'm not mistaken, electrons do free radical damage, possibly creating the "micropores" talked about. If the material takes on an aged or yellowed appearance throughout, maybe what we're after. Thin sheets sandwiched together shouldn't be a problem. Plastic milk jugs are PE.
Just occurred to me, a microwave oven in a vacuum has no air moving through the fan to cool the magnetron. Could overheat, burn out.