Remarks on “Piezonuclear neutrons from fracturing of inert solids”

Carpinteri et al. [F. Cardone, A. Carpinteri, G. Lacidogna, Physics Letters A 373 (2009) 4158] reported that by the sudden fracture of granite blocks under pressure P⩾94.4 MPa ejects a stream of neutrons catch by a ³He detector and displayed by a “BD” dosimeter. As claimed, these neutrons come from the fission reaction Fe56→2(Al27+n) being the compound Fe ₂O ₃ present at 3% in granite. We would like to point out the inconsistency of this endothermic nuclear reactions. No gamma rays measurements associated with any nuclear reactions and no radioactive isotopes in fractured granite blocks are reported. It is claimed strictly radiation-less reactions (except for the neutrons). Our remarks are related to the incompleteness of experimental set-up and data speculation. Mistake in the analysis of neutron detection due to intense acoustic signal or charged particle emitted in fractoemission phenomena is suggested.