Microstructures and hydrogen storage properties of as-cast and copper-mould-cast LaMg4Ni alloys

Phase compositions, morphologies and hydrogen storage properties of the as-cast and copper-mould-cast LaMg₄Ni alloys were studied. The dehydriding onset temperature of the as-cast alloy hydride was about 500 K, which was at least 50 K higher than that of the copper-mould-cast one, and the copper-mould-cast alloy hydride had a faster dehydriding rate compared with as-cast one. Additionally, the copper-mould-cast alloy could uptake 2.85 wt.% hydrogen, which was 95.0% of saturated hydrogen storage capacity at room temperature. While only 1.80 wt.% hydrogen (60% of saturated capacity) was absorbed for the as-cast alloy under the same conditions. The reversible hydrogen storage capacities and plateau hydrogen pressures of the two alloys were close. X-ray diffractions and scanning electron microscopy results indicated that similar thermodynamic property of the two alloys should be ascribed to the same hydrogen storage phase, Mg and Mg₂Ni. The better hydrogen sorption kinetics of copper-mould-cast alloy should be ascribed to the more uniform phase distribution compared with that of the as-cast one.