Electrochemical Hydrogen Absorption by Zr-Cu-Al-Ni Metallic Glasses

• Main Author: Ismail, Nahla
• Other Authors: Technische Universität Dresden, Mathematik und Naturwissenschaften, Physik, IFW Dresden
• Format: Doctoral Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Saechsische Landesbibliothek- Staats- und Universitaetsbibliothek Dresden 2002
• Subjects: Amorph; Elektrochemie; Wasserstoff; Zirkon-Legierung; Amorphous; Electrochemistry; Hydrogen; Zirconium-alloy; ddc:29; rvk:UQ 8600; Absorption; Kupferlegierung; Metallisches Glas; Zirkoniumlegierung
• Online Access: http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:swb:14-1037185293084-48289; http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:swb:14-1037185293084-48289; http://www.qucosa.de/fileadmin/data/qucosa/documents/995/1037185293084-4828.pdf

Effect of electrochemical absorption of hydrogen has been studied on the Zr-based amorphous alloys. The influence of hydrogen absorption on the stability of the amorphous phase and its crystallisation was investigated. Additionally, the cathodic hydrogen reaction mechanism on the surface of the alloy, the reversibility of the absorbed hydrogen and the hydrogen diffusion in the alloy were studied. These alloys are able to absorb large amounts of hydrogen (>1:1 hydrogen to metal ratio) but a rearrangement of the amorphous matrix takes place so that Cu rich areas are detected on the surface and Zr-hydride may precipitate. The thermal stability and crystallisation behaviour depends on the hydrogen concentration in the alloy. At low hydrogen concentration, the thermal stability deteriorates and primary crystallisation of Cu and/or Cu-rich phases is observed. At high hydrogen concentration, primary crystallisation of Zr-hydride takes place. The cathodic polarisation behaviour of amorphous Zr-based alloys as derived from Tafel plots reveals three characteristic potential regions reflecting the different mechanisms of hydrogen on the surface. In the Tafel region, hydrogen discharge and adsorption takes place on the alloy surface as fast steps reactions followed by the rate determining electrodic desorption reaction step in competition with hydrogen absorption as a fast step. In the further negative potential region, the current density is independent on the potential as both the Volmer and the Heyrowsky reactions take place at the same rate and the hydrogen mass transfer from the solution to the electrode surface is the rate-determining step. In the high polarisation region, all the partial hydrogen reactions take place intensively. The reversibility of the absorbed hydrogen tests reflects the possibility of hydrogen desorption from different energy sites in the amorphous alloy. The diffusion of hydrogen in the Zr-based alloys is comparable with that in the crystalline Pd and it is reduced in the pre-hydrogenated samples.