Enhanced Hydrogen Ab/De-sorption of Mg(Zn) solid solution alloy catalyzed by YH2/Y2O3 nanocomposite

YH₂/Y₂O₃ nanocomposite was prepared and introduced to Mg_0.97Zn_0.03 solid solution alloy forming a nanocomposite of Mg_0.97Zn_0.03-10 wt%YH₂/Y₂O₃ by mechanical milling. The phase components and microstructure were systematically investigated by XRD, SEM and STEM. Hydrogenation of Mg_0.97Zn_0.03 solid solution resulted in phase segregation into MgH₂ and intermetallic compound MgZn₂. The in-situ formed ultra-fine MgZn₂ homogeneously dispersed in MgH₂ matrix, and returned to Mg(Zn) solid solution through dehydrogenation. This reversible phase transition of Mg(Zn) solid solution benefited to thermodynamic destabilization of MgH₂. The co-dopant of YH₂ and Y₂O₃ exhibited synergistic catalytic effects on the hydrogen absorption and desorption of Mg_0.97Zn_0.03 solid solution alloy. As a result, Mg_0.97Zn_0.03-10 wt%YH₂/Y₂O₃ nanocomposite showed significantly improved kinetics with obviously lowered hydriding and dehydriding activation energy of 45.8 kJ⋅mol⁻¹⋅H₂ and 74.7 kJ⋅mol⁻¹⋅H₂, respectively, and the enthalpy of hydrogen desorption was reduced to 72.2 kJ⋅mol⁻¹⋅H₂.     

Enhanced hydrogen desorption/absorption properties of magnesium hydride with CeF3@Gn

In order to improve the hydrogen storage performance of MgH₂, graphene and CeF₃ co-catalyzed MgH₂ (hereafter denoted as MgH₂+CeF₃@Gn) were prepared by wet method ball milling and hydriding, which is a simple and time-saving method. The effect of CeF₃@Gn on the hydrogen storage behavior of MgH₂ was investigated. The experimental results showed that co-addition of CeF₃@Gn greatly decreased the hydrogen desorption/absorption temperature of MgH₂, and remarkably improved the dehydriding/hydriding kinetics of MgH₂. The onset hydrogen desorption temperature of Mg + CeF₃@Gn is 232 °C，which is 86 °C lower than that of as-milled undoped MgH₂, and its hydrogen desorption capacity reaches 6.77 wt%, which is 99% of its theoretical capacity (6.84 wt%). At 300 °C and 200 °C the maximum hydrogen desorption rates are 79.5 and 118 times faster than that of the as-milled undoped MgH₂. Even at low temperature of 150 °C, the dedydrided sample (Mg + CeF₃@Gn) also showed excellent hydrogen absorption kinetics, it can absorb 5.71 wt% hydrogen within 50 s, and its maximum hydrogen absorption rate reached 15.0 wt% H₂/min, which is 1765 times faster than that of the undoped Mg. Moreover, no eminent degradation of hydrogen storage capacity occurred after 15 hydrogen desorption/absorption cycles. Mg + CeF₃@Gn showed excellent hydrogen de/absorption kinetics because of the MgF₂ and CeH_2-3 that are formed in situ, and the synergic catalytic effect of these by-products and unique structure of Gn.     

Enhanced reversible hydrogen storage properties of a Mg–In–Y ternary solid solution

A Mg(In, Y) ternary solid solution was successfully synthesized by two-step method, namely sintering the elemental powders and subsequent milling. The formation of Mg(In, Y) indicates that the solubility of Y in the Mg lattice is expanded due to the existence of In. The as-synthesized Mg₉₀In₅Y₅ solid solution transformed to MgH₂, YH₃, In₃Y and MgIn compound upon hydrogenation, the hydrogenated products except for the YH₃ recovered to Mg(In, Y) solid solution after dehydrogenation. The Mg₉₀In₅Y₅ solid solution exhibited a decreased reaction enthalpy of 62.9 kJ/(mol H₂), reduction by ca. 5 kJ/(mol H₂) or 12 kJ/(mol H₂) than the Mg₉₅In₅ binary solid solution and pure Mg, respectively. The working temperature as well as the activation energies for the hydriding and dehydriding were also decreased in comparison with those of Mg(In) binary solid solution, which are attributed to the reduced reaction enthalpy and the catalytic role of YH₃. Our work indicates that the thermodynamic and kinetic tuning of MgH₂ are realized in the Mg(In, Y) ternary solid solution.     

Tuning the de/hydriding thermodynamics and kinetics of Mg by mechanical alloying with Sn and Zn

Mg₉₅Sn₃Zn₂ alloy was prepared by mechanical alloying. The phase constituents and phase transition were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) method. The microstructure was characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The hydrogen storage properties were evaluated in detail by the measurements of isothermal hydrogen absorption and desorption, and pressure-composition isotherms (PCI) using the Sieverts method. The addition of Zn benefits to extend the solubility of Sn in the Mg lattice, as a result supersaturated Mg(Sn, Zn) ternary solid solution was synthesized by mechanical alloying, which decomposed to MgH₂, Sn and MgZn₂ in the hydrogenating process. The in situ formed nanostructure Mg₂Sn and MgZn₂ have positive effects on the hydrogen absorption and desorption of Mg. Mg₉₅Sn₃Zn₂ alloy showed significantly improved kinetics with lowered hydrogen absorption and desorption activation energies of 38.1 kJ/mol and 86.6 kJ/mol respectively, and exhibited a reduced dehydriding enthalpy of 67.0 ± 1.9 kJ/(mol·H₂).     

Reversible de-/hydriding characteristics of a novel Mg18In1Ni3 alloy

The present work demonstrates the reversible hydrogen storage properties of the ternary alloy Mg₁₈In₁Ni₃, which is prepared by ball-milling Mg(In) solid solution with Ni powder. The two-step dehydriding mechanism of hydrogenated Mg₁₈In₁Ni₃ is revealed, namely the decomposition of MgH₂ is involved with different intermetallic compounds or Ni, which leads to the formation of Mg₂Ni(In) solid solution or unknown ternary Mg–In–Ni alloy phase. As a result, the alloy Mg₁₈In₁Ni₃ shows improved thermodynamics in comparison with pure Mg. The Ni addition also results in the kinetic improvement, and the minimum desorption temperature is reduced down to 503 K, which is a great decrease comparing with that for Mg–In binary alloy. The composition and microstructure of Mg–In–Ni ternary alloy could be further optimized for better hydrogen storage properties.     

Hydrogen storage by Mg-based nanocomposites

Hydrogen storage materials research is entered to a new and exciting period with the advance of the nanocrystalline alloys, which show substantially enhanced absorption/desorption kinetics, even at room temperatures. In this work, hydrogen storage capacities and the electrochemical discharge capacities of the Mg₂(Ni, Cu)-, LaNi₅-, ZrV₂-type nanocrystalline alloys and Mg₂Ni/LaNi₅-, Mg₂Ni/ZrV₂-type nanocomposites have been measured. The electronic properties of the Mg₂Ni_1-xCu_x, LaNi₅ and ZrV₂ alloys were calculated. The nanocomposite structure reduced hydriding temperature and enhanced hydrogen storage capacity of Mg-based materials. The nanocomposites (Mg,Mn)₂Ni (50 wt%)-La(Ni,Mn,Al,Co)₅ (50 wt%) and (Mg,Mn)₂Ni (75 wt%)-(Zr,Ti)(V,Cr,Ni)_2.4 (25 wt%) materials releases 1.65 wt% and 1.38 wt% hydrogen at 25 °C, respectively. The strong modifications of the electronic structure of the nanocrystalline alloys could significantly influence hydrogenation properties of Mg-based nanocomposities.     

Indications of the formation of an oversaturated solid solution during hydrogenation of Mg–Ni based nanocomposite produced by mechanical alloying

An oversaturated solid solution of H in a nanocomposite material formed mainly by nanocrystalline Mg₂Ni, some residual nanocrystalline Ni and an Mg rich amorphous phase has been found for the first time. The nanocomposite was produced by mechanical alloying starting from Mg and Ni elemental powders, using a SPEX 8000D mill. The hydriding characterization of the nanocomposite was carried out by solid–gas reaction method in a Sievert's type apparatus. The maximum hydrogen content reached in a period of 21 Ks without prior activation was 2.00 wt.% H under hydrogen pressure of 2 MPa at 363 K. The X-ray diffraction analysis showed the presence of an oversaturated solid solution between nanocrystalline Mg₂Ni and H without any sign of Mg₂NiH₄ hydride formation. The dehydriding behaviour was studied by differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetry. The results showed the existence of two desorption peaks, the first one associated with the transformation of the oversaturated solid solution into Mg₂NiH₄, and the second one with the Mg₂NiH₄ desorption.     

Microstructural evolution and hydrogen storage properties of Mg1-xNbx(x=0.17~0.76) alloy films via Co-Sputtering

A series of Mg_1-xNb_x (x = 0.17–0.76) alloy films were prepared by means of magnetron co-sputtering in this work, on the purpose of obtaining better hydrogen storage materials with controllable component and structure. Mg(Nb) solid solution (Mg_0.83Nb_0.17 and Mg_0.76Nb_0.24 film), BCC-(Mg_1-xNb_x) structure (Mg_0.70Nb_0.30 and Mg_0.60Nb_0.40 film), and Nb(Mg) solid solution respectively (Mg_0.38Nb_0.62 and Mg_0.24Nb_0.76 film) formed in the Mg_xNb_1-x alloy films with the increases of Nb contents. It only took 3 min for BCC-Mg_0.60Nb_0.40 to absorb 2.3 wt% hydrogen at 473 K and took only 30 min to desorb 1.2 wt% hydrogen at 523 K. Moreover, the BCC structure maintained after hydrogenation or dehydrogenation, which promised good cyclic stability. The hydrogen storage capacities of Mg_1-xNb_x alloy films were decreased with the increases of Nb contents. Mg_0.83Nb_0.17 can absorb most hydrogen of 3.8 wt% and Mg_0.24Nb_0.76 absorbs least hydrogen of 1.0 wt%. The Nb not only played a role of catalyst but also cooperated with Mg to build the BCC-(Mg,Nb) structure. The former provided intergranular path for the hydrogen atoms to diffuse faster; the latter provided more and larger lattice interstices for hydrogen atoms to diffuse in grain more easily.     

Mechanisms of hydrides’ nucleation and the effect of hydrogen pressure induced driving force on de-/hydrogenation kinetics of Mg-based nanocrystalline alloys

Aiming to gain insight on the hydrogen storage properties of Mg-based alloys, partial hydrogenation and hydrogen pressure related de-/hydrogenation kinetics of Mg–Ni–La alloys have been investigated. The results indicate that the phase boundaries, such as Mg/Mg₂Ni and Mg/Mg₁₇La₂, distributed within the eutectics can act as preferential nucleation sites for β-MgH₂ and apparently promote the hydrogenation process. For bulk alloy, it is observed that the hydrogenation region gradually grows from the fine Mg–Ni–La eutectic to primary Mg region with the extension of reaction time. After high-energy ball milling, the nanocrystalline powders with crystallite size of 12～20 nm exhibit ameliorated hydrogen absorption/desorption performance, which can absorb 2.58 wt% H₂ at 368 K within 50 min and begin to desorb hydrogen from ～508 K. On the other side, variation of hydrogen pressure induced driving force significantly affects the reaction kinetics. As the hydrogenation/dehydrogenation driving forces increase, the hydrogen absorption/desorption kinetics is markedly accelerated. The dehydrogenation mechanisms have also been revealed by fitting different theoretical kinetics models, which demonstrate that the rate-limiting steps change obviously with the variation of driving forces.     

Synthesis of low-cost biomass charcoal-based Ni nanocatalyst and evaluation of their kinetic enhancement of MgH2

In this study, a low-cost biomass charcoal (BC)-based nickel catalyst (Ni/BC) was introduced into the MgH₂ system by ball-milling. The study demonstrated that the Ni/BC catalyst significantly improved the hydrogen desorption and absorption kinetics of MgH₂. The MgH₂ + 10 wt% Ni/BC-3 composite starts to release hydrogen at 187.8 °C, which is 162.2 °C lower than the initial dehydrogenation temperature of pure MgH₂. Besides, 6.04 wt% dehydrogenation can be achieved within 3.5 min at 300 °C. After the dehydrogenation is completed, MgH₂ + 10 wt% Ni/BC-3 can start to absorb hydrogen even at 30 °C, which achieved the absorption of 5 wt% H₂ in 60 min under the condition of 3 MPa hydrogen pressure and 125 °C. The apparent activation energies of dehydrogenation and hydrogen absorption of MgH₂ + 10 wt% Ni/BC-3 composites were 82.49 kJ/mol and 23.87 kJ/mol lower than those of pure MgH₂, respectively, which indicated that the carbon layer wrapped around MgH₂ effectively improved the cycle stability of hydrogen storage materials. Moreover, MgH₂ + 10 wt% Ni/BC-3 can still maintain 99% hydrogen storage capacity after 20 cycles. XRD, EDS, SEM and TEM revealed that the Ni/BC catalyst evenly distributed around MgH₂ formed Mg₂Ni/Mg₂NiH₄ in situ, which act as a “hydrogen pump” to boost the diffusion of hydrogen along with the Mg/MgH₂ interface. Meanwhile, the carbon layer with fantastic conductivity enormously accelerated the electron transfer. Consequently, there is no denying that the synergistic effect extremely facilitated the hydrogen absorption and desorption kinetic performance of MgH₂.     

Effect of in-situ formed Mg2Ni/Mg2NiH4 compounds on hydrogen storage performance of MgH2

Magnesium-based hydrogen storage materials (MgH₂) are promising hydrogen carrier due to the high gravimetric hydrogen density; however, the undesirable thermodynamic stability and slow kinetics restrict its utilization. In this work, we assist the de/hydrogenation of MgH₂ via in situ formed additives from the conversion of an MgNi₂ alloy upon de/hydrogenation. The MgH₂–16.7 wt%MgNi₂ composite was synthesized by ball milling of Mg powder and MgNi₂ alloy followed by a hydrogen combustion synthesis method, where most of the Mg converted to MgH₂, and the others reacted with the MgNi₂ generating Mg₂NiH₄, which produced in situ Mg₂Ni during dehydrogenation. Results showed that the Mg₂Ni and Mg₂NiH₄ could induce hydrogen absorption and desorption of the MgH₂, that it absorbed 2.5 wt% H₂ at 473 K, much higher than that of pure Mg, and the dehydrogenation capacity increased by 2.6 wt% at 573 K. Besides, the initial dehydrogenation temperature of the composite under the promotion of Mg₂NiH₄ decreased greatly by 100 K, whereas it is 623 K for MgH₂. Furthermore, benefiting from the catalyst effect of Mg₂NiH₄ during dehydrogenation, the apparent activation energy of the composite reduced to 73.2 kJ mol⁻¹ H₂ from 129.5 kJ mol⁻¹ H₂.     

Synthesis,characterization and first hydrogen absorption/desorption of the Mg35Al15Ti25V10Zn15 high entropy alloy

In this work, a novel Mg-containing high entropy alloy (HEA), namely Mg₃₅Al₁₅Ti₂₅V₁₀Zn₁₅, was synthesized, characterized, and the phases formed after synthesis and after first hydrogen absorption/desorption were analyzed. The alloy composition was conceptualized aiming at increasing the atomic fraction of lightweight elements (35 at.% Mg and 15 at.% Al) to increase its gravimetric hydrogen storage capacity. Ti and V were selected to increase the hydrogen affinity of the alloy. Finally, Zn was selected as an alloying element because of its negative enthalpy of mixing with Mg, which could favor the formation of solid solution and avoid Mg segregation. The Mg₃₅Al₁₅Ti₂₅V₁₀Zn₁₅ HEA was synthesized by high-energy ball milling (HEBM) in two different routes: under argon atmosphere (mechanical alloying – MA) and under hydrogen pressure (reactive milling – RM). The sample produced by MA was composed of a body-centered cubic (BCC) phase with an amount of unmixed Mg. When hydrogenated at 375 °C and under 4.0 MPa of H₂, the MA sample absorbed about 2.5 wt% of H₂ by forming a mixture of MgH₂, a face-centered cubic (FCC) hydride, a body-centered tetragonal (BCT) phase and MgZn₂. The desorption sequence upon heating was investigated and it was shown that the MgH₂ is the first to desorb. The sequence of desorption is completed by the decomposition of the FCC hydride and BCT phase leading to the formation of the BCC phase. On the other hand, the alloy produced by RM was composed of a mixture of an FCC hydride and MgH₂. During desorption upon heating, the MgH₂ is also the first to desorb. At lower temperatures (below 350 °C), the FCC hydride decomposes partially forming the BCT phase. At higher temperatures, both FCC hydride and BCT phase decomposes forming the BCC phase. The desorption capacity of the RM sample was 2.75 wt% H₂.     

Hydrogen storage properties of Mg-10 wt% Ni alloy co-catalysed with niobium and multi-walled carbon nanotubes

Mg-10 wt% Ni alloys containing up to 1 wt% Nb were fabricated by a casting technique, followed by ball-milling with 5 wt% multi-walled carbon nanotubes. Further mechanical alloying with 1.5, 3, and 5 at % Nb was applied to a cast Mg-10 wt% Ni-370 ppm Nb alloy to investigate the catalytic role of Nb in hydrogen dissociation. The microstructure and distribution of Nb and Mg₂Ni in the alloys were characterised by SEM. The absorption and desorption kinetics of the samples were measured by Sieverts’ apparatus at various temperatures. The results show that addition of Nb during casting accelerates the hydrogen diffusion compared to the cast binary Mg-10 wt% Ni alloy. Moreover, ball-milling of the alloy with metallic niobium leads to the formation of BCC phase of Mg-Nb solid solution, which significantly improves the hydrogenation properties of the alloy. DSC results show that mechanical alloying of Mg-10 wt%Ni-370 ppm Nb with Nb in excess of 1.5 wt% decreases the desorption temperature by approximately 100 °C compared to the ball-milled cast alloy.     

Improved hydrogen storage kinetics and thermodynamics of RE-Mg-based alloy by co-doping Ce–Y

Aiming at improving hydrogen storage performance of Mg-base alloy, the Mg₉₀Ce₅Y₅ alloy, which has high capacity and high stability, was prepared by vacuum induction melting. The XRD, SEM, TEM, PCI, and DSC were used to characterize the microstructure and phase transformation of alloy as well as hydrogen storage property. The results indicate that the Mg₉₀Ce₅Y₅ alloy consists of multiphase structure, including the CeMg₁₂, Y₅Mg₂₄, Ce₂Mg₁₇ as well as residual Mg phase, besides, part Y dissolved in both Mg and CeMg₁₂/Ce₂Mg₁₇ phase to form solid solutions. After hydrogen absorption, these phases transform into the MgH₂, CeH_2.73 and YH₂ phase, while after hydrogen desorption, the MgH₂ transforms into the Mg phase, but the rare earth hydride phase was not changed. There is another reversible transformation between the CeH_2.73 and CeO₂ phase, which is beneficial for the cyclic stability of the alloy. The alloy has the reversible hydrogen capacity of about 6.0 wt% H₂ as well as the activation energy of 114.3 kJ/mol, and also exhibits enhanced kinetics compared with the pure MgH₂ sample, as a result of the synergistic effect of rare earth hydride phase. Meanwhile, it is also noted that the Mg₉₀Ce₅Y₅ alloy begins to release hydrogen below 250 °C and the rate of hydrogen desorption is mainly dominated by surface controlled.     

Facilitating de/hydrogenation by long-period stacking ordered structure in Mg based alloys

We propose a simple strategy to effectively improve the hydrogenation and dehydrogenation kinetics of Mg based hydrogen storage alloys. We designed and prepared an Mg_91.9Ni_4.3Y_3.8 alloy consisting of a large quantity of long-period stacking ordered (LPSO) phases. A type of highly dispersed multiphase nanostructure, which can markedly promote the de/hydrogenation kinetics, has been obtained utilizing the decomposition of LPSO phases at first a few of hydrogenation reactions. The fine structures of LPSO phases and the microstructural evolutions of the alloy during hydrogenation and dehydrogenation reactions were in detail characterized by means of transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The LPSO phases transformed to MgH₂, Mg₂NiH₄, and YH₃ after the first hydrogenation. The highly dispersed nanostructure at macro and micro (nano) scale range remains even after several de/hydrogenation cycles. The alloy shows excellent hydrogen storage properties and its reversible hydrogen absorption/desorption capacities are about 5.8 wt% at 300 °C. Particularly, the alloy exhibits very fast dehydrogenation kinetics. The dehydrogenated sample can release approximately 5 wt% hydrogen at 300 °C within 200 s and 5.5 wt% within 600 s. We elucidate the structural mechanism of the alloy with outstanding hydrogen storage performance.     

Fast hydrogen absorption/desorption kinetics in reactive milled Mg-8 mol% Fe nanocomposites

This study aims to better understand the Fe role in the hydrogen sorption kinetics of Mg–Fe composites. Mg-8 mol% Fe nanocomposites produced by high energy reactive milling (RM) for 10 h resulted in MgH₂ mixed with free Fe and a low fraction of Mg₂FeH₆. Increasing milling time to 24 h allowed formation of a high fraction of Mg₂FeH₆ mixed with MgH₂. The hydrogen absorption/desorption behavior of the nanocomposites reactive milled for 10 and 24 h was investigated by in-situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction, thermal analyses and kinetics measurements in Sieverts-type apparatus. It was found that both 10 and 24 h milled nanocomposites presents extremely fast hydrogen absorption/desorption kinetics in relatively mild conditions, i.e., 300–350 °C under 10 bar H₂ for absorption and 0.13 bar H₂ for desorption. Nanocomposites with MgH₂, low Fe fraction and no Mg₂FeH₆ are suggested to be the most appropriate solution for hydrogen storage under the mild conditions studied.     

Hydrogen sorption behaviour of Mg-5wt.%La alloys after the initial hydrogen absorption process

In our earlier study, it has been shown that trace Na additions can improve the reaction kinetics of Mg–5%La (wt.%) alloys during the first absorption. However, the subsequent hydrogen desorption/absorption process of the Mg–5%La after the first absorption has not been investigated. In this study, we have investigated the hydrogen sorption behaviour of the Mg–5%La alloy after the first absorption in terms of phase evolution, and lattice expansion properties during desorption as function of temperature using in-situ synchrotron Powder X-ray Diffraction (PXRD) and in-situ High Voltage Transmission Electron Microscopy (HVTEM). Two distinct phase evolutions, a continuous phase transformation of LaH₃ → LaH₂ + ½ H₂ (from 250 °C) and decomposition of MgH₂ → Mg + H₂ (between 440 and 460 °C) were identified during the desorption. It is determined that this alloy is cyclable in the absence of Mg₁₂La intermetallic during the subsequent absorption/desorption cycling after the first hydrogen absorption.     

Hydrogen storage properties of Mg–Nb@C nanocomposite: Effects of Nb nanocatalyst and carbon nanoconfinement

The Mg–Nb@C nanocomposite has been synthesized by a reactive gas evaporation method to simultaneously achieve carbon nanoconfinement and add Nb nanocatalyst. The size of Mg particles is range from 14 to 26 nm with average size of 20 nm. The small Nb catalyst about 5 nm are decorated in Mg particles, and the proportion of Nb is about 8 wt%. The amorphous carbon layer with thickness of 2 nm is coated on the surface of Mg–Nb nanocomposite. The nanocomposite can absorb 6.4 wt% H₂ and desorb 6.3 wt% H₂ in 5 min at 673 K. At 573 K, it can also uptake 5.8 wt% H₂ in 10 min and release 4.8 wt% H₂ in 60 min. The E_a for hydrogenation and dehydrogenation are reduced to 60.2 and 59.7 kJ mol^?1, respectively. Carbon nanoconfinement and Nb nanocatalyst effectively improve the hydrogen sorption kinetic of Mg.     

Effects of graphite addition and air exposure on ball-milled Mg–Al alloys for hydrogen storage

Magnesium hydride (MgH₂) is a promising candidate as a hydrogen storage material. However, its hydrogenation kinetics and thermodynamic stability still have room for improvement. Alloying Mg with Al has been shown to reduce the heat of hydrogenation and improve air resistance, whereas graphite helps accelerating hydrogenation kinetics in pure Mg. In this study, the effects of simultaneous Al alloying and graphite addition on the kinetics and air-exposure resistance were investigated on the Mg₆₀Al₄₀ system. The alloys were pulverized through high-energy ball milling (hereinafter HEBM). We tested different conditions of milling energy, added graphite contents, and air exposure times. Structural characterization was conducted via X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). H₂ absorption and desorption properties were obtained through volumetry in a Sieverts-type apparatus and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). The desorption activation energies were calculated using DSC curves through Kissinger analysis. Mg₆₀Al₄₀ with 10 wt% graphite addition showed fast activation kinetics, even after 2 years of air exposure. Graphite addition provided a catalytic effect on ball-milled Mg–Al alloys by improving both absorption and desorption kinetics and lowering the activation energy for desorption from 189 kJ/mol to 134 kJ/mol. The fast kinetics, reduced heat of reaction, and improved air resistance of these materials make them interesting candidates for potential application in hydride-based hydrogen storage tanks.     

Synthesis and hydrogen storage thermodynamics and kinetics of Mg(AlH4)2 submicron rods

Mg(AlH₄)₂ submicron rods with 96.1% purity have been successfully synthesized in a modified mechanochemical reaction process followed by Soxhlet extraction. ∼9.0 wt% of hydrogen is released from the as-prepared Mg(AlH₄)₂ at 125–440 °C through a stepwise reaction. Upon dehydriding, Mg(AlH₄)₂ decomposes first to generate MgH₂ and Al. Subsequently, the newly produced MgH₂ reacts with Al to form a Al_0.9Mg_0.1 solid solution. Finally, further reaction between the Al_0.9Mg_0.1 solid solution and the remaining MgH₂ gives rise to the formation of Al₃Mg₂. The first step dehydrogenation is a diffusion-controlled reaction with an apparent activation energy of ∼123.0 kJ/mol. Therefore, increasing the mobility of the species involved in Mg(AlH₄)₂ will be very helpful for improving its dehydrogenation kinetics.