Hydrogenation of Intermetallic Compounds ACo3 (A = Ce, Y) with Hydrogen and Ammonia

The reactions of intermetallic compounds ACo3 (A = Ce, Y) with hydrogen and ammonia at 20–450°C were studied. The composition of the products and the conditions for preparing the hydride and nitride phases were determined. Phase transformations in the ACo3–NH3 system in the temperature interval 20–450°C and the general scheme of hydrogenation of intermetallic compounds ACo3 were determined. The conditions for preparing tetrahydrides ACo3H4 containing ~1.3–1.5 wt % hydrogen were optimized. The intermetallic compound CeCo3 can be used as a working material in reusable metal hydride hydrogen accumulators that operate at –150°C and are suitable for producing high-purity hydrogen (99.999 wt %).