Hydrogen Storage Kinetics of Mg20Ni10-xMx (M=Cu, Co; x=0-4) Alloys Prepared by Melt Spinning
In order to improve the gaseous hydrogen storage kinetics of the Mg2Ni-type alloys, Ni in the alloy was partially substituted by M (M=Cu, Co). Melt-spinning technology was used for the preparation of the Mg20Ni10-xMx (M=Cu, Co; x=0, 1, 2, 3, 4) hydrogen storage alloys. The structures of the as-cast and spun alloys are characterized by XRD, SEM and TEM. The gaseous hydrogen absorption and desorption kinetics of the alloys were measured by an automatically controlled Sieverts apparatus. The results show that the as-spun (M=Cu) alloys hold a typical nanocrystalline structure, whereas the as-spun (M=Co) alloys display a nanocrystalline and amorphous structure, confirming that the substitution of Co for Ni facilitates the glass formation in the Mg2Ni-type alloy. The substitution of M (M=Cu, Co) for Ni engenders an insignificant effect on the hydrogen absorption kinetics of the alloys, but it markedly ameliorates the hydrogen desorption kinetics of the alloys. As the M (M=Cu, Co) content increase from 0 to 4, the hydrogen desorption ratio ( ) is enhanced from 27.7% to 58.9% for the as-spun (30 m/s) alloy (M=Cu), and from 27.7% to 70.2% for the as-spun (30 m/s) alloy (M=Co).