Nonstoichiometry and Lattice Defects in Uranium Hydride

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Abstract
Expressions were derived for the hydrogen pressure over nonstoichiometric metallic hydrides from statistical mechanical considerations. Two separate relations were obtained depending on whether lattice vacancies or interstitial atoms were taken to be the cause of hydrogen deficiency in hydrides. For the case of one‐to‐one binary hydrides, the two equations become identical. By comparing the pressure‐temperature‐composition data for uranium hydride with the derived equations, it was established that the nonstoichiometry of this compound was due to hydrogen vacancies in the lattice rather than interstitial uranium atoms. The energy necessary to form a hydrogen vacancy in uranium hydride was found to be 68.2 kcal/mole, while a value of 6.5 kcal/mole was determined for the interaction energy between vacancies.

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