PARALLEL STUDIES OF DEUTERIUM AND PROTIUM SORPTION BY PALLADIUM IN ACIDIC SOLUTIONS

Equilibrium charging curves and potentiodynamic curves were recorded i n order to study the sorption behavior of a palladized platinum electr ode in 0.5 M H2SO4 in H2O and 0.5 M D2SO4 in D2O. The equilibrium pote ntial of the alpha - beta transition for Pd deuteride was found to be 40 mV more negative than that for Pd hydride, while the atomic ratios at constant pressure (about 50 kPa) satisfy the relation: H/Pd - D/Pd = 0.09 +/- 0.01. For a platinized platinum electrode, a minor broadeni ng of the double-layer region was found in deuterium-containing relati ve to protium-containing solutions.