Diffusion of hydrogen into a metal

Endothermic occlusion takes place by diffusion of hydrogen into a metal lattice which is very little changed by the process. In exothermic occlusion by palladium, however, the face-centred cubic lattice (a phase) of palladium, with lattice constant 3.88 A, will accomodate, below 100°C, no more than about 5 at. % hydrogen, and then undergoes a transition to an expanded phase ( 3 phase), with lattice constant 4.02 A and H/Pd = 0.5—0.6. The H—Pd system thus splits into a and 3 phases in the manner familiar for two partially miscible liquids. The consolute temperature (rarely observable for solid phases) is about 310°C at H/Pd = 0.22. The phase diagram is, however, not well established because formation of the... 

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