Charge of hydrogen in α-iron

Abstract

A study has been made of the diffusion of electrolytic hydrogen in pure iron. Diffusion coefficients determined under the conditions of polarisation increased linearly with overpotential over a narrow overpotential range. This may represent conditions of enhanced chemical diffusion. From the mobility and the intrinsic diffusion constant obtained at very low overpotentials, the effective charge of the diffusing species was calculated to be +0.26e, which is in good agreement with the value of +0.25e obtained elsewhere from the studies of electro-transport at elevated temperatures. The value of the apparent charge, or charge of transport, is compared with other ionic states reported for hydrogen and it is concluded that about half of this charge may correspond to ionic bonding.