an embedded-atom method interatomic potential for pd–stronghstrong alloys.pdfVIP

An embedded-atom method interatomic potential for Pd–H alloys X.W. Zhoua) and J.A. Zimmerman Mechanics of Materials Department, Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, California 94550 B.M. Wong Materials Chemistry Department, Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, California 94550 J.J. Hoyt Department of Materials Science and Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8S 4L7 (Received 19 September 2007; accepted 16 November 2007) Palladium hydrides have important applications. However, the complex Pd–H alloy system presents a formidable challenge to developing accurate computational models. In particular, the separation of a Pd–H system to dilute () and concentrated () phases is a central phenomenon, but the capability of interatomic potentials to display this phase miscibility gap has been lacking. We have extended an existing palladium embedded-atom method potential to construct a new Pd–H embedded-atom method potential by normalizing the elemental embedding energy and electron density functions. The developed Pd–H potential reasonably well predicts the lattice constants, cohesive energies, and elastic constants for palladium, hydrogen, and PdHx phases with a variety of compositions. It ensures the correct hydrogen interstitial sites within the hydrides and predicts the phase miscibility gap. Preliminary molecular dynamics simulations using this potential show the correct phase stability, hydrogen diffusion mechanism, and mechanical response of the Pd–H system. I. INTRODUCTION lease of helium due to the coalescence of defects.16,17 Palladium possesses the capacity to absorb a large Understa