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Kinetics of the lattice response to hydrogen absorption in thin Pd and CoPd films

Hydrogen can penetrate reversibly a number of metals, occupy the interstitial sites and cause large expansion of the crystal lattice. The question discussed here is whether the kinetics of the structural response matches hydrogen absorption. We show that thin Pd and CoPd films exposed to a relatively rich hydrogen atmosphere (4% H2) inflate irreversibly, demonstrate the controllable shape memory, and duration of the process can be orders of magnitude longer than hydrogen absorption. The dynamics of the out-of-equilibrium plastic creep is well described by the Avrami - type model of the nucleation and lateral domain wall expansion of the swelled sites.