Here’s a question posed by a reader here today, that I thought I’d throw out to readers today. JDM asked, “how long do you think it would be before nickel powder becomes a regulated commodity?”
I suppose the question is trying to draw a comparison between traditional nuclear fuels and the new LENR fuels. There are national and international regulations and regulatory bodies that cover the mining, handling and transportation of radioactive fuels like uranium, plutonium and thorium for obvious safety and security reasons.
If nickel powder becomes the fuel of choice for widespread, would there be any reason for special regulatory bodies to control its sale and use? A safety fact sheet from multinational mining company Vale gives some information about safety precautions that should be taken with nickel powder. It is considered to be dangerous under some circumstances (risks of explosions or other chemical reactions), but is not listed as being especially toxic.
I suppose that some regulators may, however, become interested in nickel powder if they recognize the potential it has as a fuel source. If nickel-hydrogen LENR is widely recognized as really being “off the charts” in terms of power density, how do you think it might be handled by governments? Is it too dangerous (physically and/or politically) to be allowed in the hands of the average tinkerer?