Effects of mechanical alloying on the hydrogen storage properties of the Mg76Ti12Fe12−xNix (x = 4, 8) materials

Abstract A recent method to obtain hydrogen storage materials based on magnesium is mechanical alloying. This method offers some advantages by enhancing surface properties of material and alloying by intimately mixing the constitutive elements, at the atomic scale, in the same time with the required processing temperature and time reducing, which lead to a low cost of delivered materials. The aim of this research is to enhance the hydrogen storage capacity of the magnesium alloys by adding some elements such as Ti, Fe and Ni, by mechanical alloying. The Mg 76 Ti 12 Fe 12− x Ni x ( x  = 4, 8) alloys were prepared by mechanical alloying for 10, 20 and 60 h in petroleum ether medium, followed by a subsequent thermal treatment at 450 °C for 3 h, in argon atmosphere. The milling time influence on the hydrogen storage properties of the obtained materials is presented. Increasing of milling time generates single-phase materials having enhanced homogeneity. The Mg 76 Ti 12 Fe 12− x Ni x ( x  = 4) material has a hydrogen storage capacity of 5.33 wt% hydrogen, which is totally reversible. These materials can be used for the high temperature hydrogen storage applications.