Observation of Rapid Change of Crystalline Structure during the Phase Transition of the Palladium-Hydrogen System

Abstract

We performed an X-ray diffraction experiment while palladium bulk absorbed and desorbed hydrogen to investigate the behavior of the crystalline lattice during the phase transition between the $\alpha$ phase and $\beta$ phase. Fast growth of $\beta$ phase was observed around x=0.1 and x=0.45 of PdH$_x$. In addition, slight compression of the lattice at high hydrogen concentration and increase in the lattice constant and the line width of the $\alpha$ phase after a cycle of absorption and desorption of hydrogen was observed. These behavior correlated with the change in the sample length, which may infer that the change in shape was related to the phase transition.