D. J. Bull

Quantum rattling of molecular hydrogen in clathrate hydrate nanocavities

We have performed high-resolution inelastic neutron scattering studies on three samples of hydrogenated tetrahydrofuran-water clathrates, containing either H2 at different para/ortho concentrtion, or HD. By a refined analysis of the data, we are able to assign the spectral bands to rotational and center-of-mass translational transitions of either para- or ortho-H2. The H2 molecule rotates almost freely, while performing a translational motion (rattling) in the nanometric-size cage, resulting a paradigmatic example of quantum dynamics in a non-harmonic potential well. Both the H2 rotational transition and the fundamental of the rattling transition split into triplets, having different separation. The splitting is a consequence of a substantial anisotropy of the environment with respect to the orientation of the molecule in the cage, in the first case, or with respect to the center-of-mass position inside the cage, in the second case. The values of the transition frequencies and band intensities have been quantitatively related to the details of the interaction potential between H2 and the water molecules, with a very good agreement.

Structure and stability of high pressure synthesized Mg–TM hydrides (TM = Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb and Ta) as possible new hydrogen rich hydrides for hydrogen storage

A series of hydrogen rich Mg6–7TMH14–16 (TM = Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb and Ta) hydrides have been synthesized at 600 °C in a high pressure anvil cell above 4 GPa. All have structures based on a fluorite type metal atom subcell lattice with a ≈ 4.8 A. The TM atom arrangements are, however, more ordered and can best be described by a superstructure where the 4.8 A FCC unit cell axis is doubled. The full metal atom structure corresponds to the Ca7Ge type structure. This superstructure was also observed from electron diffraction patterns. The hydrogen atoms were found from powder X-ray diffraction using synchrotron radiation to be located in the two possible tetrahedral sites. One coordinates three Mg atoms and one TM atom and another coordinates four Mg atoms. These types of new hydrogen rich hydrides based on immiscible metals were initially considered as metastable but have been observed to be reversible if not fully dehydrogenated. In this work, DFT calculations suggest a mechanism whereby this can be explained: with H more strongly bonded to the TM, it is in principle possible to stepwise dehydrogenate the hydride. The remaining hydrogen in the tetrahedral site coordinating the TM would then act to prevent the metals from separating, thus making the system partially reversible.

Pressure-dependent deuterium reaction pathways in the Li-N-D system

Neutron diffraction data from in situ deuteration and dedeuteration of Li(3)N are presented under different pressure regimes, whereby reaction pathways differing from the widely reported stoichiometric pathway of Li(3)N + 2D(2)<--> Li(2)ND + LiD + D(2)<--> LiND(2) + 2LiD are observed. At sufficiently high pressures, where the deuterium chemical potential is comparable with the heat of amide formation, the reaction appears to be driven straight to the amide plus deuteride phase mixture. At lower pressures, a cubic phase exhibiting a concentration-dependent variation in lattice parameter is observed. In dedeuteration, two sets of reflections from cubic structures with distinct lattice parameters are observed, both of which exhibit a continual decrease in cell volume. The reaction pathways are discussed in terms of the compositional variation.

The pressure?temperature phase diagram of MgH2 and isotopic substitution

Computational thermodynamics using density functional theory ab initio codes is a powerful tool for calculating phase diagrams. The method is usually applied at the standard pressure of p = 1 bar and where the Gibbs energy is assumed to be equal to the Helmholtz energy. In this work, we have calculated the Gibbs energy in order to study the release temperature and phase modifications of MgH(2) at high pressures up to 10 GPa (100 kbar). The isotopic substitution of hydrogen with deuterium (or tritium) does not bring about any strong effects on the phase diagram. These considerations are of extreme importance for (i) the synthesis of novel substitutional magnesium based materials at high pressure and (ii) the determination of the correct reference states for the calculation of phase diagrams at high pressure. The calculated results are compared with experimental data obtained with an in situ neutron diffraction measurement.

Low frequency sound propagation in activated carbon

Activated carbon can adsorb and desorb gas molecules onto and off its surface. Research has examined whether this sorption affects low frequency sound waves, with pressures typical of audible sound, interacting with granular activated carbon. Impedance tube measurements were undertaken examining the resonant frequencies of Helmholtz resonators with different backing materials. It was found that the addition of activated carbon increased the compliance of the backing volume. The effect was observed up to the highest frequency measured (500 Hz), but was most significant at lower frequencies (at higher frequencies another phenomenon can explain the behavior). An apparatus was constructed to measure the effective porosity of the activated carbon as well as the number of moles adsorbed at sound pressures between 104 and 118 dB and low frequencies between 20 and 55 Hz. Whilst the results were consistent with adsorption affecting sound propagation, other phenomena cannot be ruled out. Measurements of sorption isotherms showed that additional energy losses can be caused by water vapor condensing onto and then evaporating from the surface of the material. However, the excess absorption measured for low frequency sound waves is primarily caused by decreases in surface reactance rather than changes in surface resistance.

Quasi-elastic neutron scattering study of the hydrogen diffusion in the C15 Laves structure, TiCr1.85

Abstract High-resolution quasi-elastic neutron scattering measurements have been performed on the hydride form of the C15 Laves phase compound, TiCr 1.85 , using the IN10 backscattering spectrometer at the ILL, France. The broadened spectra were observed over the temperature range 313–442 K and over a range of momentum transfers from 0.15 to 1.82 A −1 for a concentration of [H]/[M]=0.15. Only a single Lorentzian convoluted with the resolution function was necessary to fit the data in the whole Q range, suggesting that the diffusion occurs via a single jump mechanism. Values of the tracer diffusion coefficient and the activation energy for diffusion have been extracted from the low- Q sections of the data, and the mean jump length has been determined.

An in situ neutron diffraction measurement of the pressure-temperature evolution of a MgD2:TiD2 mixture

The hydrogen storage capacity of Mg–Ti–H films is approximately five times that of conventional metal hydride electrodes in NiMH-batteries. Mg and Ti are considered to be immiscible in the bulk and the ambient pressure phase diagram of Mg and Ti indicates that no binary stable bulk compounds are formed. However, in the presence of hydrogen, an Mg–Ti–H phase has been obtained by Kyoi et al. using a high pressure synthesis – where magnesium hydride is compacted with different TM-hydrides in an anvil cell at pressures of the order several GPa (4–8 GPa) and at a temperature of 873 K. In this work, we have proved the feasibility of in situ powder diffraction using the Paris–Edinburgh high pressure cell for the observation of structural changes on this system and we propose modifications to improve the output of the experiment.

On the high-pressure phase stability and elastic properties of β-titanium alloys

We have studied the compressibility and stability of different β-titanium alloys at high pressure, including binary Ti-Mo, Ti-24Nb-4Zr-8Sn (Ti2448) and Ti-36Nb-2Ta-0.3O (gum metal). We observed stability of the β phase in these alloys to 40 GPa, well into the ω phase region in the P-T diagram of pure titanium. Gum metal was pressurised above 70 GPa and forms a phase with a crystal structure similar to the η phase of pure Ti. The bulk moduli determined for the different alloys range from 97  ±  3 GPa (Ti2448) to 124  ±  6 GPa (Ti-16.8Mo-0.13O).

The pressure-temperature phase diagram of MgH(2) and isotopic substitution

Computational thermodynamics using density functional theory ab initio codes is a powerful tool for calculating phase diagrams. The method is usually applied at the standard pressure of p = 1 bar and where the Gibbs energy is assumed to be equal to the Helmholtz energy. In this work, we have calculated the Gibbs energy in order to study the release temperature and phase modifications of MgH(2) at high pressures up to 10 GPa (100 kbar). The isotopic substitution of hydrogen with deuterium (or tritium) does not bring about any strong effects on the phase diagram. These considerations are of extreme importance for (i) the synthesis of novel substitutional magnesium based materials at high pressure and (ii) the determination of the correct reference states for the calculation of phase diagrams at high pressure. The calculated results are compared with experimental data obtained with an in situ neutron diffraction measurement.

In situ powder neutron diffraction study of non-stoichiometric phase formation during the hydrogenation of Li3N.

The hydrogenation of Li3N at low chemical potential has been studied in situ by time-of-flight powder neutron diffraction and the formation of a non-stoichiometric Li4-2xNH phase and Li4NH observed. The results are interpreted in terms of a model for the reaction pathway involving the production of Li4NH and Li2NH, which subsequently react together to form Li4-2xNH. Possible mechanisms for the production of Li4NH from the hydrogenation of Li3N are discussed.