I believe that Rossi is using the Soret effect to enrich the heavy isotopes of nickel when he formulates nickel oxide powder from pure nickel nano-powder feed stock.The fact that Rossi claims to have invented a new method of isotopic enrichment (second miracle) is not idle speculation.
Background:
Thermophoresis
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermophoresis
Thermophoresis, thermodiffusion, or Soret effect (or Ludwig-Soret effect), is a phenomenon observed when a mixture of two or more types of motile particles (particles able to move) are subjected to the force of a temperature gradient and the different types of particles respond to it differently. The term "Sorét effect" normally means thermophoresis in liquids only. The term "thermophoresis" is most often intended to mean the behavior in aerosols, not liquids, but the broader meaning is also common. The mechanisms of thermophoresis in liquid mixtures differ from those in gas mixtures, and are generally not as well understood.
The phenomenon is observed at the scale of one millimeter or less. An example that may be observed by the naked eye with good lighting is when the hot rod of an electric heater is surrounded by tobacco smoke: the smoke goes away from the immediate vicinity of the hot rod. As the small particles of air nearest the hot rod are heated, they create a fast flow away from the rod, down the temperature gradient. They have acquired higher kinetic energy with their higher temperature. When they collide with the large, slower-moving particles of the tobacco smoke they push the latter away from the rod. The force that has pushed the smoke particles away from the rod is an example of a thermophoretic force.
For illustration see aerosols.wustl.edu.
How this applies to the formation of nichel oxide nano-powder
http://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/1102/1102.3840.pdf
FORMATION AND RUPTURE OF THE NANOSIZED METAL FILAMENT INSIDE OXIDE MATRIX
The present of the strong temperature gradients can results to temperature gradient-driven diffusion (thermomigration). Thermomigration in solid is small and therefore one is usually can be neglected as compared to concentration diffusion. In a heat flow transient induced by electrical discharge, however, temperature gradient is order to 10^8C/cm and thermal diffusion contribution cannot be excluded, especially in melt state of the oxide. If a homogeneous binary compound is placed in a temperature gradient, a redistribution of the constituents can occur with one constituent migrating to the cold end of the specimen and other to the hot end. This phenomenon is called Soret effect.
The direction of the migration and values of the mass flows is defined by the transport heat f of the diffusing ions Q*. The values of the Q*’s for Ni and O thermomigration in NiO are unknown. However, we can use the approaches which were developed for liquid conductive compounds . Indeed, in this theory assuming that the liquid is a dense gas and applying the thermo-transport theory in binary gas mixtures the direction of the diffusion is determined primarily by the mass differences, the lighter component migrates to the warmer end and the heavy component to cold end.
With this in mind, we can assume that the Ni ions migrate towards the hot region, whereas the O ions diffuse to periphery of the melt region. As a consequence, a temperature gradient drives the establishment of concentration gradients. In the stationary state this concentration gradient depends on the boundary conditions. As melt region are closed for the exchange of oxygen with the surrounding gas phase, process end up with zero atom fluxes, defining the so-called Soret state with Ni rich region in center of the melt.
The data given on Fig.3 confirm an opportunity of an establishment of the Soret state at high temperature stage of the forming. The presented dates are SIMS images of the O and Ni distribution near NiO-Pt interfaces for initial oxide structure and after forming. We can see that only O diffuses away from local nonhomogeneous regions of the NiO during forming. Assuming that these local regions have highest conductivity and, as consequence, high temperature due to Joule hitting the atoms redistribution can be defined by thermomigration and Soret state establishment.
This part of the Rossi patent caught my attention that bears upon this subject:
I would like to call attention to one of the patents of special interest that is mentioned in the Rossi patent. This part of the Rossi patent caught my special attention:
http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Pars ... PN/6236225
Method of testing the gate oxide in integrated DMOS power transistors and integrated device comprising a DMOS power transistor
This patent of interest can be seen in the light of nickel oxide quality testing. After Rossi produces the nickel oxide nano-powder, he needs to test it for proper dielectric behavior.
Now we just have to revisit the Viagra bit and we will have really come full circle. 