Changes in isotopic composition of metals enriched in hydrogen

We have studied changes in the isotopic composition of niobium and palladium as well as of titanium film structures over ceramics enriched in deuterium. We have also investigated changes in the isotopic composition of copper under thermally activated copper diffusion into nickel. An intense isotope exchange between the atoms of the matrices and impurities enriched in deuterium and changes in the isotopic composition of copper during diffusion into nickel were observed. The relationships seen in the experiments lead us to suggest that the changes in the isotope ratio may be caused (along with plausible nuclear transformations) by a strong isotopic effect involved in cold diffusion induced by hydrogen migration. Institute of Strength Physics and Materials Science of the SB RAS. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 4, pp. 61–65, April, 1999.