Activation of the reactive hydride composite 2NaBH4 + MgH2

A novel method to enhance the reaction kinetics of the reactive hydride composite 2NaBH 4  + MgH 2 is described. It has been discovered that short-term exposure to a moist atmosphere has a very beneficial effect on the desorption reaction of the 2NaBH 4  + MgH 2 mixture. By this procedure it is possible to achieve, after drying, both faster desorption kinetics and greater amounts of released hydrogen compared to ball-milled material without further treatment.