Structure of liquid iron hydrogen alloy under high pressure

Abstract

In-situ x-ray diffraction measurement on liquid iron hydrogen alloy (FeHx) was performed at 4 GPa and 1350°C. X-ray diffraction of pure liquid Fe was also measured at 3.5 GPa and 1700°C for comparison. The obtained structure factors for liquid FeHx and pure Fe are very similar though the second peak in the structure factor for liquid FeH x is more asymmetric. It suggests that hydrogen affects some local order in the liquid state. Slight elongation of the Fe-Fe nearest neighbour distance due to hydrogenation supports a notion that hydrogen and iron form interstitial alloy in the liquid state. © 2010 IOP Publishing Ltd.