Inhibition of hydrogen adsorption on uranium surfaces by traces of water vapor
Speaker:
Noah Shamir, NRC-Negev, Israel
Date & Time:
April 4, 2008 - 10:30am
Location:
Chem. 260 | Inhibition of hydrogen adsorption on uranium surfaces by traces of water vapor Laboratory for Surface Modification |
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| Noah Shamir, NRC-Negev, Israel FRIDAY, 10:30 AM, Chem. 260 Traces of about 2% water vapor are sufficient to inhibit hydrogen dissociation and chemisorption on uranium surfaces, under low pressure exposures, at room temperature. The efficiency of the inhibition increases with temperature in the range of 200 – 400 K. The inhibition effect is also influenced by the extent of residual strain of the sample, with increasing inhibition efficiencies exhibited by a less strained surface. O2, in contrast to H2O, is not an inhibitor to surface adsorption and dissociation of hydrogen. Three types of mechanisms are discussed in order to account for the above inhibition effect of water. It is concluded that the most probable mechanism involves the reversible adsorption of water molecules on hydrogen dissociation sites causing their ‘‘blocking’’. |