The Power To Be mentioned this article to read for reference in growing crystals:
http://nathan.instras.com/documentDB/paper-243.pdf

Within this article there seems to be another step in growing the crystals that appear to me that no one has mentioned before.  I am just wondering if it applies since we are using a different 'home based' approach to growing the crystals in the first place.

The following is the text I am referring to in the article:

Here's another observation... hope you people aren't getting sick of my posts, but I also think this point should be clarified.

Originally 'The Power To Be' indicated we could just drop the crystals directly in the water.  Other posts seem to indicate people moving to attach the crystals to bowls, plates etc, which I took as the crystals would not be suspended in the water.

According to the following news article, the crystals must be submerged in water:
http://www.energyboom.com/emerging/piezo-crystals-harnessing-sound-waves-generate-fuel

[0127] 3. ZnO Fibers

[0128] A hydrothermal method was used to synthesize ZnO fibers (FIGS. 27-29). Hexamethylenetetramine (C.sub.6H.sub.12N.sub.4) and zinc nitrate hexahydrate (Zn(NO.sub.3).sub.2.6H.sub.2O) precursor solutions were mixed together (1:1 molar ratio) in Teflon cup with 60% capacity followed by magnetically stirring in 15 min. The mixture was then sealed tightly in a stainless steel autoclave. The closed bomb was heated at 95.degree. C. for 48 hr. After that the bomb was cooled naturally to room temperature. The final products were washed with DI water and dried at room temperature.

[0129] Hydrogen Production from Water Using Ultrasonic Vibrations and Fibers of Piezoelectric Material

[0130] In support of the above theory, testing was done utilizing zinc oxide (ZnO) micro-fibers synthesized using the bottom-up method (i.e. hydrothermal synthesis method). Nano-fibers of quartz and other materials can be fabricated using photolithography, dry-cutting and other methods, some of which were discussed previously.

[0131] The micro-fibers were positioned in a pure water aqueous environment to which a suitable ultrasonic vibration generator was connected in order to direct ultrasonic vibrations at the fibers within the aqueous environment. An identical trial utilizing a similar aqueous environment without any ZnO micro-fibers was also conducted to provide a control for the experiment. Initially, the aqueous environments were left alone in order to measure any hydrogen production from the aqueous environments. This was done for an initial forty (40) minute time period with a suitable hydrogen gas detection device such as described previously used to detect any hydrogen produced by the micro-fiber containing and control aqueous systems. After the initial time period, the ultrasonic vibration generator was activated to direct vibrations through the aqueous environment at the micro-fibers to deflect and "mechanically strain" the micro-fibers. The ultrasonic vibration generator was left active for a second forty (40) minute time period, and the hydrogen production from the system during this period was measured in the same manner as during the initial time period.

[0132] The results of this experiment are shown in FIG. 23, in which the evolution of H.sub.2 from pure water under an application of ultrasonic waves. As seen in the graph, during the initial forty (40) minute period where the ultrasonic vibration generator inactive, no hydrogen was produced in either the micro-fiber containing or control aqueous environments. Regarding the control system, no hydrogen production was detected during the second time period as well. However, when the ultrasonic generator was activated during the second time period in the system including the ZnO micro-fibers, rapid hydrogen production was obtained at an initial rate of 12.9 ppmh.sup.-1. This hydrogen gas production upon mechanical vibration of the ZnO micro-fibers in the aqueous environment agrees with the previous experiments, in which the strained ZnO powders were also active to split water into hydrogen and oxygen.

[0133] This is because, in a mechanism similar to that caused by the deformation of the structure of ZnO grains by ball milling, with regard to micro- and nano-scale fibers, ZnO fibers will build up electric potentials on the surface through deformation caused as a result in an aqueous environment, the mechanical or strain induced electric potential caused by the vibrations is transformed on the fibers into the chemical energy that is utilized to split water into hydrogen and oxygen gas.

[0134] The performance of direct water-splitting was further investigated showing the capabilities of ZnO fibers and BaTiO.sub.3 dendrites for scavenging vibrational waste energies from urban environments to generate hydrogen and oxygen gases from pure water. In order to first measure hydrogen gas production, ultrasonic wave vibrations at a frequency of 40 kHz using a Branson 5510-MT Ultrasonic Cleaner were applied to 5.0 mL of DI water in a Pyrex glass tube to determine the results of the piezoelectrochemical effect on as-synthesized ZnO fibers prepared on a Si (100) wafer of 1.times.1 cm.sup.2. The results for hydrogen gas production for the ZnO and the BaTiO.sub.3 are shown in FIGS. 30 and 32. A control experiment was also conducted with a cleaned Si wafer (1.times.1 cm.sup.2), without ZnO fibers in the system. In the first period when external vibration was used (0.about.40.sup.th minute), rapid hydrogen production was obtained at an initial rate of 3.4.times.10.sup.-3 ppm per second (ppm/s). The reaction cell was then evacuated at the 40.sup.th minute allowing a fresh run beginning at the 41.sup.st minute. Ultrasonic wave vibration was turned off at the beginning of the 41.sup.st minute, and the H.sub.2 production was measured again. It was found that hydrogen generation stopped when the ultrasonic wave vibration was turned off, leading to a negligible H.sub.2 production rate (<0.0001 ppm/s). This is similar to the control experiment (0.about.40.sup.th minute). A possible reason for the low gas concentration in the experiments without ultrasonic vibration or the control experiment could be due to contamination from air in the room.

[0135] The oxygen production performance of ZnO fibers via the piezoelectrochemical effect was also investigated. Oxygen concentration was measured in solution as a function of time as shown in FIG. 31. The response of the ZnO fibers to external vibrations was demonstrated by turning the ultrasonic wave in the system on and off. Consistent with the hydrogen production test, when ultrasonic waves were applied to ZnO fibers, oxygen concentration grew rapidly at an initial rate of 1.7.times.10.sup.-3 (ppm/s).Oxygen production stopped in the 41.sup.st to 80.sup.th minutes, corresponding to when the ultrasonic waves were turned off. ZnO fibers in DI water with applied ultrasonic vibrations evolved hydrogen and oxygen gases with a stoichiometric equivalent of H.sub.2O.sub.2=2:1. As with the previous experiments, no oxygen production was observed for the Si wafer control experiment.

[0136] Thus, based on the hydrogen and oxygen production tests utilizing the fibers of piezoelectric materials (e.g., ZnO, quartz, BaTiO.sub.3) in an aqueous environment, there is a direct conversion of mechanical energy (ultrasonic vibration) into the chemical energy (water splitting) as a result of the mechanical strain placed in the fibers. This is believed as a very important step forward to recycling the waste energy into alternative fuel in the future.

[0137] The micro- or nano-scale fibers of these materials create high levels of hydrogen production in the aqueous environment conditions as utilized in the above experiments, because the piezoelectric materials are more chemically stable, and able to generate greater electrical potential on the surface for further chemical reactions. In addition, quartz and certain other piezoelectric materials are much cheaper to obtain than other piezoelectric materials, further reducing the barriers to effective use of the piezoelectrochemical effect to generate useful energy from waste energy.

[0138] Similarly, when the external mechanical input is turned off, electrical charges will no longer accumulate on the fiber surface. Thus no sufficient potential can be used to reduce or oxidize the water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen, respectively. This is evidenced by the fact that we did not observe a rapid gas growth rate without vibration compared to the vibration mode. Our conclusions are that quartz, ZnO fibers and BaTiO.sub.3 dendrites show very good responses to the application of ultrasonic vibrations by generating H.sub.2 and O.sub.2 directly from water. Based on the gas production tests above, we have confirmed the piezoelectrochemical (PZEC) effect by using the quartz, ZnO and BaTiO.sub.3 fibers in wet conditions.

I went back and studied what Power To Be shared about the crystals in all of his posts on Energetic as well as OU and it became clear to me that his recipe for us regarding the zinc crystals was strictly a home brew kind of thing that would work.  He admitted that there were very complicated processes used for making the crystals but he was trying to come up with a recipe for the guy who wanted to make them in his home.  He also said that for best results you should use the technique in the referenced pdf.

Anyway, Power To Be was trying to help us!! 

Thanks Power To Be!!!!

When [the crystals are] pulsed with ultrasonic vibrations, the nanofibers flexed and catalyzed a chemical reaction to split the water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen.

When the fibers bend, asymmetries in their crystal structures generate positive and negative charges and create an electrical potential. This phenomenon, called the piezoelectric effect, has been well known in certain crystals for more than a century and is the driving force behind quartz clocks and other applications.

What are people using for their pure water aqueous environment for testing the ZnO crystals hho production?

In particular are they submerging the transducer directly within the water solution or putting the container above above transducer like in the way the Branson 5510-MT Ultrasonic Cleaner works ?(manual url: http://www.bransonic.com/pdf/p214-142ra.pdf).

I would think either way would work, but not having the transducer exposed to the water would likely make sure its life span is greater.  Maybe using a quartz flask / beaker would then contain the the deionized water and crystals for the test?