Local structure evolution in hydrogen-induced amorphization of YFE2 and YNi2 Laves phases

Although both YFe2 and YNi2 crystalline compounds have a C15 Laves phase structure. YFe2 forms crystalline YFe2D4.3, while YNi2 is transformed into amorphous YNi2D3.6 on absorbing deuterium atoms under a high pressure of D2 gas at room temperature. The characteristic evolution in the short-range structure of metallic atoms and the chemical environment around a deuterium atom during the hydrogen-induced solid state amorphizing process are examined by X-ray and neutron diffraction.