Re: magnetising water?

[William Beaty <billb@eskimo.com>]

On Fri, 30 Aug 1996, Mark Sylvester wrote:

<snip>

> roughly as "Magnetising of Water Systems" and the author is V. I. Klassen.
> Publisher is Moscow "Chemistry" 1982. The student is unable to explain very
> clearly what he understands from this book, but says the effect has
> something to do with the bond angle in the water molecule changing. I am
> mystified and skeptical.
>
> I've asked him to reproduce his measurements in our lab: in the meantime,
> can anyone enlighten me as to what this effect might be? Is there a
> reference in English, or at least a name for the phenomenon that I might
> follow up?


R. Milton offers EM effects on water as an example of a taboo field of
science in his book FORBIDDEN SCIENCE.  It's associated with Mesmer and
Animal Magnetism, as well as the whole "Life Energy" side of maverik
biology and New Age healing.  Humans are made of water, and if b-fields
can affect water, then all those quack healers who use magnets might be
right after all, no?  The subject is in somewhat the same position as Cold
Fusion: there is evidence for interesting phenomena, but there is danger
of being labled crazy if you pursue research, so the field is avoided.
Milton cites papers by Giorgio Piccardi on rates of chemical reaction in
water being affected by (shieldable) ambient EM fields, in Symposium
Intern. sur les Rel. Phen.  Sol et Terre, 1960, PAE, Brussels.

Also, for the last couple of years there have been "Magnetic water
conditioners" sold which are claimed to prevent and even reverse the
buildup of mineral scale in water pipes.  They are simple permanent
magnets which clamp across an inlet pipe, and are widely regarded as being
the products of pseudoscience.  I recently heard that there was a
professional paper out confirming that these devices DO have an
unexplained effect on mineral crystalization in water after all, but I've
been unable to find the email. 

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Subject:      Magneto-Electric Effects
From:         swillis@lfs.loral.com (Scott Willis)
Date: 1995/04/14
Message-Id:   <19950414.072321.415@lfs.loral.com>
Organization: Loral Federal Systems
Reply-To:     swillis@lfs.loral.com (Scott Willis)
Newsgroups:   sci.chem


(also posted in sci.physics, sci.electronics)

I've come across several Patents for devices containing permanent
magnets that are clamped over pipes to have a beneficial effect on
the liquids passing through it.  Specifically:

from Ellison, "Magnetic Water Conditioner", pat 05296141:
  "It has been found that most substances creating scale in water,
  fuel, and oil transmitting conduits are diamagnetic, subjecting the
  substances to a strong magnetic field induces polarization in the
  substance in such a way that the diamagnetic molecules thereof
  are repelled by the magnetic substances possess this characteristic,
  formation of objectionable encrustation, on the inside of the
  transmission conduit of pipe is prevented by inducing polarization
  which causes the diamagnetic substances to move away from the inner
  surface of the conduit when under the influence of a sufficiently
  strong magnetic field."

from Ashton, "Magnetic Fluid Treatment Device",  pat 05348050:
  "Spinning protons in fluids in including water alcohol, gasoline,
  kerosene, and many others act as spinning magnetic dipoles.  Under
  normal circumstances, these protons spin randomly inside their
  respective atoms.  The dipoles are temporarily polarized and
  aligned by the influence of a magnetic field.  This alignment and
  subsequent concentration of energy in uniform directions causes an
  attraction between the hydrocarbon fuel molecule and the oxygen
  molecule.  When used with fuels, the result is increased efficiency
  by combining more fuel molecules with more oxygen molecules."

from Burns, "Magnet Holder Assembly", pat 05320751:
  "the magnet field charges positively the normally negative fuel
  particles as they flow through the conduit.  The fuel particles
  are then attracted to the originally negatively-charged oxygen
  molecules, thereby eliminating the repulsion normally existing
  between fuel and oxygen, and thereby enhancing combustion,
  fuel efficiency and reducing pollution."

Does this stuff actually work, or does it simply show you can
patent just about anything?

Scott