# hydrogen torch



## whitesid (Jul 9, 2008)

does anyone here use a hydrogen torch? i was thinking of getting one and wanted to know how they hold up and if they worked as good as they show on the advertisement


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## goldsilverpro (Jul 9, 2008)

I love the super clean hydrogen torches. The only problem is that you can't see the flame.


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## whitesid (Jul 9, 2008)

do they melt the metal better then the usual torches?


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## Harold_V (Jul 10, 2008)

They're the torch of choice for melting the platinum metals, at least as far as I know. Acetylene torches increase the chance of forming carbides---no such thing with hydrogen.

Harold


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## NuggetHuntingFool (Jul 18, 2008)

Somebody was telling me that Hydrogen torches will make your Pt become heavier because it absorbs the Hydrogen.

I thought that was interesting.


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## Anonymous (Jul 24, 2008)

not a problem with PT, that PD paladium. PD can absorb upto 1000 times its own weight in hydrogen


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## Lou (Jul 25, 2008)

All platinum group metals _adsorb _and _absorb _(there's a difference) hydrogen to a certain extent. Platinum and palladium happen to be the best two at doing so. They also do this with other larger molecules hence their use as catalysts in chemistry; it is this propensity for molecules to get stuck onto their surfaces that makes them catalytically active.

Also, the level at which Pd holds onto hydrogen is dependent on temperature and surface area. Palladium black will hold over 10,000 times its volume in hydrogen (more surface area as Pd black is micron-sized) while Pd sponge will be around 950 times. Pd bulk is much less. Typically they hold less H2 at higher temperatures, and hold the most at cooler temperatures; kinetically this makes sense. I have a hydrogen generator that puts out about 75psi of H2, (I think 300L/Hr?) and all the H2 goes through a palladium ''membrane'' to purify the hydrogen to ultra high purity levels (6N+).


I've never experienced Pt gaining mass from hydrogen. Mainly because you're not supposed to use a reducing, hydrogen rich flame; you cannot oxidise the Pt. As for Pd, this is also not true--I have not seen it happen, and I have the balances that could tell if the metal picked up even one ten thousandth of a gram of H2.


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