It is shown that bimetal strips which use palladium—silver alloys as the active component are sensitive detectors of gaseous hydrogen. Concentrations of hydrogen in STP nitrogen as low as 50 ppm have been detected with this technique. Fast response times are obtained at bimetal strip operating temperatures of 200–300°C. The experimentally observed steady state behavior of these strips is in good agreement with theory.
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While its corrosion resistance is not high, iron offers a reasonably good thermal expansion match to Pd and 75‐25 wt% Pd‐Ag and is readily available. 75‐25 wt% Pd‐Ag is also readily available—being widely used as a permeation membrane for hydrogen purification.
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Internal stress levels can be estimated by the results presented in Ref. 7.
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Unfortunately, experimentally determined values for D with are not available. The quoted value for D was observed in the concentration range, in 75‐25 wt% Pd‐Ag. As is now generally recognized, the use of this value at very low hydrogen concentrations may be inaccurate.
21.
J. Crank, The Mathematics of Diffusion (Oxford University Press, London, 1956), p. 43.
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B. I. Boltaks, Diffusion in Semiconductors (Academic Press Inc., New York, 1963), p. 111.
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© 1969 The American Institute of Physics.
1969
The American Institute of Physics
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