Structure and electrochemical properties of low-cobalt La1- xLixNi3.2Co0.3Al0.3(0≤x≤0.2) hydrogen storage electrode alloys

The structure and electrochemical properties of a new low cobalt hydrogen storage electrode alloys La1-xLixNi3.2Co0.3Al0.3(0≤ x ≤0.2) were investigated with a different additions of Li in replacement of La. With the increase of Li contents the maximum discharge capacity increases from 240 mAh·g -1 ( x =0) to 328.4 mAh·g -1(x=0.1) and the cycle stability is improved correspondingly. The capacity decay can remaiN28.6% ( x =0.2) after 230 charge/discharge cycles. The high rate discharge(HRD) ability of the alloys( x≤0.1) is improved and the best HRD is 34.1%( x =0.1) under the discharge current density 1200 mA·g -1 . It is found that the prepared alloys are basically composed of LaNi5 as matrix phase and LaNi3 as second phase( x ≤0.1). But the abundance of LaNi3 phase dramatically decreases with increasing x . When x =0.2, a new phase Al(NiCo)3 is formed.