Mechanically stimulated solution of adsorbed hydrogen and deuterium in steel

The results of the pioneer research of the phenomenon of a mechanically sti mulated solution of gases (hydrogen and deuterium) in a bulk of balls made of carbon chromium steel (15% Cr, 1% C) are presented. The experiments have been performed in a vacuum chamber filled with deuterium at a pressure of 5 x 10(-1) Pa. The ball-bearing was loaded by an axial force of 34.3 N per ball and rotation was performed at a speed of 195 rpm. The phenomenon has b een studied for both long (N-1 = 24 x 10(3) revolutions) and short (N-2 = 2 x 10(3) revolutions) rotation periods. An unloaded sample of the same stee l was kept stationary in the chamber during the experiment as a reference. The measurements of the distribution of hydrogen and deuterium atoms in the depth of the ball, as well as in the bulk of the reference sample, were pe rformed using SIMS, Copyright (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.