Peculiarities of metal-hydride influence of gas discharge characteristics

Summary form only given, as follows. The investigations of hydrogen desorption from reversible hydrides of intermetallic compounds have shown that this process is accomplished with the presence of non equilibrium concentration of vibrationally-excited and charged particles. In this case the hydrogen desorbed from metal-hydrides can be ionized more easily than the conventional molecular hydrogen from the reservoir. It is shown that the ionization cross section is 50% higher and the ionization potential is 0.5 eV lower for desorbed hydrogen, than for reservoir gas. The glow discharge ignition in hydrogen, deserbed from metalhydride, takes place for the lower value of electrodes potential. In this paper the results of the experimental investigations of characteristics of glow discharge with metal-hydride alloy (Zn-V-Fe)H/sub X/ electrodes are represented. Gas pressure in the chamber was changing from 1 to 10 Torr. The discharge voltage was (300-350) V. The metal-hydride element, which was installed in gas discharge chamber, was 2 cm diameter disk made of a composite material, containing a hydrogenated zirconium alloy mixed with a bonding agent (copper). During the hydrogen desorption from metalhydride for the positive potential of this electrode, the discharge current was 30% higher than that in the case of reservoir hydrogen, and for the negative potential the discharge current was 10-15 times higher.