Formation of an amorphous metallic hydride by reaction of hydrogen with crystalline intermetallic compounds—A new method of synthesizing metallic glasses

Abstract

Noncrystalline metallic hydrides can be formed from certain crystalline Zr3Rh intermetallic phases by hydrogenation. X-ray diffraction patterns, density measurements, and superconducting properties confirmed the transition from the crystalline to the amorphous phase by this solid state reaction. The transition can be explained in terms of a ‘‘chemical frustration’’ effect.