NEUTRON-DIFFRACTION STUDY OF ATOMIC BONDING PROPERTIES IN THE HYDROGEN-ABSORBING ZR(ALXFE1-X)(2) SYSTEM

Powder neutron diffraction of Zr(AlxFe1-x)(2) intermetallics (x=0-1) h as been performed at room temperature in an attempt to study the varia tion of their bonding properties as a function of x. The Debye-Waller factors indicate a minimum of the bonding strength for both the Zr and the Fe/Al sites in the Zr(AlxFe1-x)(2) compounds at x=0.2. A similar minimum has also been observed by other experimental techniques, and i t corresponds to the maximum hydrogen absorption in the above intermet allic system.