Influence of a magnetic field on the diffusion of hydrogen in Nb and Pd

Abstract

The authors have measured the diffusion of hydrogen in Pd and Nb as a function of magnetic field by means of a dilatometric method (Pd) and the Gorsky effect (Nb). For Pd at T=570K, (H)/(Pd)<or approximately=10-2 and B=10 T no influence of the magnetic field was detected within an experimental accuracy of <or approximately=3%. The same conclusion was reached for the experiments on NbHx (T=455K, (H)/(Nb) approximately=0.04 and B=10 T) within an accuracy of approximately=1.5%. The results are discussed on the basis of the theory of irreversible processes and compared with earlier work on systems for which significant magnetic field effects on the diffusion in metals have been reported.