Numerical simulation of diffusion behaviour of hydrogen in a single layer of material

Modelling of hydrogen permeating through a metal as a function of time and displacement has been performed by means of the forward difference method over a rectangular grid. Varying diffusion times and specimen thickness, concentrations in a single layer of material have been produced using repeated iterative procedures. Good agreement was found between this numerical solution using the forward difference method and results of permeation current density-time profiles from experimental data. The comparison confirmed that analysing in detail the hydrogen diffusion behaviour in a single layer of material is feasible using this numerical approach. This approach can also provide a way to study diffusion behaviour of hydrogen in composite materials.