HYDROGEN IN AMORPHOUS METALS - I.

The solubility and diffusivity of hydrogen in amorphous Pd//7//7//. //5Cu//6Si//1//6//. //5 and Ni//4//9//. //9Pd//3//1//. //8P//1//8//. //3 have been measured using an electrochemical method. The pressure-concentration isotherms show remarkable deviations from Sievert's Law while the amount of hydrogen dissolved lies in between the solubility of the components of the alloy. The diffusivity of hydrogen is rather high (about 10** minus **8 cm**2/s) and it depends on temperature and also on concentration even at very low hydrogen levels contrary to crystalline metals. An equation is derived which relates the width of this function to the width of the radial distribution function which describes the structure of an amorphous alloy. Changes in this structure are believed to take place during annealing and were revealed by changes of hydrogen solubility.