HYDROGEN ABSORPTION IN VARIOUS ZIRCONIUM-BASED AND HAFNIUM-BASED INTERMETALLIC COMPOUNDS

The interaction with hydrogen gas of sixteen intermetallics containing zirconium or hafnium at a concentration of at least 50 at.% was studied. It was found that reversible hydrogen absorption involving the formation of a ternary hydride occurred for all the hafnium compounds and for the zirconium compounds of 50 at.% Zr composition. For all compounds of higher zirconium content hydrogen absorption was found to be irreversible because of the formation of the binary hydride ZrH2. Lattice parameters are given for the intermetallic compounds of hafnium before and after charging with hydrogen gas. © 1979.