Visualization technique for time-variant hydrogen concentration distribution in porous materials using hydrogen storage alloy thin film

An understanding of the mechanism whereby hydrogen is transported in porous materials is a key factor when developing hydrogen-utilizing equipment. For instance, studying the start-up and degradation characteristics of Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell (PEFC) requires the distribution of the time-variant hydrogen concentration to be measured at times of the order of 10−1 s. However, few studies on time-variant hydrogen transport in porous materials have been reported, and conventional measuring methods are insufficient in terms of their time resolution. This study led to the development of a visualization technique using the characteristics of a MgNi thin film, the reflection rate of which changes along with the hydrogen concentration. The new visualization technique makes it possible to investigate and understand the distribution of the time-variant hydrogen concentration.