Hydrogen isotope exchange in proton-conducting oxides during proton and deuteron irradiation

It has been found that during accelerator beam deuteron irradiation of a proton-conducting oxide containing protium H/D isotope exchange between beam ions and dissolved ions takes place. This isotope exchange was also observed during high-energy proton irradiation of the oxide containing dissolved deuterium atoms. These results provide evidence to a new type of hydrogen isotope exchange. Any appreciable effects of conjugate diffusion of hydrogen and oxygen ions and of the interface processes on the isotope exchange rate were eliminated. In this type of exchange the rate of replacement of H$^+$ by D$^+$ and of D$^+$ by H$^+$ was determined only by the properties of the crystal. The discovered effect was used in our study to obtain experimental data characterizing the dynamic and equilibrium behavior of hydrogen isotopes in the oxide BaZr$_{0.9}$Y$_{0.1}$O$_{3-\delta }$.