Hexagonal close-packed iron hydride behind the conventional phase diagram

Machida, Akihiko*; Saito, Hiroyuki*; Hattori, Takanori   ; Sano, Asami   ; Funakoshi, Kenichi*; Sato, Toyoto*; Orimo, Shinichi*; Aoki, Katsutoshi*

Hexagonal close-packed iron hydride, hcp FeHx, is absent from the conventional phase diagram of the Fe-H system, although hcp metallic Fe exists stably over extensive temperature () and pressure () conditions, including those corresponding to the Earth's inner core. X-ray and neutron diffraction measurements at temperatures ranging from 298 to 1073 K and H pressures ranging from 4 to 7 GPa revealed that the hcp hydride was formed for FeH compositions when . Hydrogen atoms occupied the octahedral interstitial sites of the host metal lattice both partially and randomly. The hcp hydride exhibited a H-induced volume expansion of 2.48(5) /H-atom, which was larger than that of the face-centered cubic (fcc) hydride. The hcp hydride showed an increase in with , whereas the fcc hydride showed a corresponding decrease. The present study provides guidance for further investigations of the Fe-H system over an extensive -- region.