Hydriding and Dehydriding Characteristics of Mechanically Alloyed LaMgl7Ni Composite Material

A composite material with the nominal composition LaMgl7Ni was synthesized by mechanical alloying and thehydriding/dehydriding (H/D) behaviors of this material were studied at several temperatures. This material has a hydrogenstorage capacity (5.76% H2, mass fraction) lower than conventionally alloyed La2Mg17(6.63% H2, mass fraction) without activation but shows a superior hydriding/dehydriding kinetic property. At 523 K it absorbed 4.97% (mass fraction)in less than 1 rain, approximately 100 times faster than La2Mg17 alloy under the same conditions. This attractive kineticproperty of the alloy can be ascribed to the catalytic action of Mg2Ni, LaH2 and La as well as the multiphase structure formed in the preparation processes. The relationships between the equilibrium plateau pressure and the temperature canbe expressed as lgpeq = - 2797/T 4.267 (553 K≤ T≤623 K) for hydriding and lgpeq = - 3957/T 6.063(553 K≤T≤623 K) for dehydriding.