Mechanically-assisted gaseous addition of hydrogen to metal alloys

A method of adding hydrogen to a zirconium metal alloy, comprising:

• providing an article formed of the zirconium metal alloy;
• providing a powder formed of a zirconium metal hydride;
• enveloping the article and the powder with a shell metal to form an assembly, wherein the shell metal is copper;
• applying load to the assembly to apply a pressure that is maintained between about 10 MPa and 320 MPa;
• and
• heating the assembly to a temperature that is maintained between about 200° C. and 350° C.,
• wherein the shell metal deforms around the article and the powder and forms a gas proof seal,
• wherein the powder thermally decomposes to form hydrogen gas, and
• wherein at least a portion of the hydrogen gas dissociates and moves as monoatomic hydrogen into the article.

A method of adding hydrogen to a metal alloy, comprising:

• providing an article formed of the metal alloy;
• providing a metal hydride;
• covering at least a portion of the article and the metal hydride with a shell metal to form an assembly;
• applying load to the assembly;
• and
• heating the assembly,
• wherein the shell metal deforms around the portion of the article and the metal hydride and forms a gas proof seal,
• wherein the metal hydride thermally decomposes to form hydrogen gas,
• wherein at least a portion of the hydrogen gas dissociates and moves as monoatomic hydrogen into the article, and
• wherein, in the step of applying, the load is below a yield strength of the metal alloy and greater than a yield strength of the shell metal.