A quick resistance check of the sample showed
1.7 ohms. With the spark gap set for 25,000 volts, I charged the
caps (1.46 micro Farads) and triggered the relay. This resulted in
the normal flash and snap from the gap. After shorting the capacitor
to make sure it was discharged, I tested the sample again and found a resistance
of 1.9 ohms. A second shot at the same voltage raised the resistance
to 2.1 ohms. Next, I cranked the gap out to 40,000 volts and tried
again. The results are shown below.
Closer scrutiny of the patent suggests that my failure can be traced to too large of a sample cross section. The patent specifies that a super critical current must be applied for transformation to occur. What this current is was not apparent at first reading. The author suggested that a one micro Farad cap and a 20,000 volt supply were sufficient to demonstrate the patent. However, he also claimed that the transformation requires ~ 4 microseconds and a critical charge density of 1,000,000 coulombs/square centimeter. This translates to a critical current of 250 giga-amps/square centimeter. Either I need a bigger capacitor (2 FARADS! at 40,000 volts) or a smaller sample (1/10,000" in diameter).
Nuts. Well, at least this didn't cost me much. Most of the bits and pieces were scrap from other projects. The jack was $12 at K-Mart, the sapphire tube $6 for a 12 inch length, the graphite powder $6 for a pound and $5 for the drill bit. Time to find another project (but, I'll probably keep an eye out for giant caps and extra fine graphite fibers).