Hydrogen storage performance of LaNi3.95Al0.75Co0.3 alloy with different preparation methods

Rare-earth AB₅-type La–Ni–Al hydrogen storage alloys are widely studied due to their extensive application potentials in hydrogen isotope storage, hydrogen isotope isolation and hydrogen compressors, etc. Good hydriding/dehydriding kinetics, easily activation, high reversibility are important factors for their practical application. However, their overall hydrogen storage performance, especially plateau pressure and hydrogen absorption/desorption durability need to be further optimized. In this study, the microstructures and the hydrogen storage properties of as-cast, annealed, and melt-spun LaNi_3.95Al_0.75Co_0.3 alloys were investigated. The experimental results of XRD and SEM showed that all alloys contained a pure CaCu₅ type hexagonal structure LaNi₄Al phase. The cell volume increased in an order of annealed ?> ?melt-spun ?> ?as-cast, resulting in a lower hydrogen absorption/desorption plateau pressure and a more stable hydride phase. The hydrogen storage capacity of three alloys was almost the same. The slope factor of the annealed and melt-spun alloys is smaller than the as-cast alloy, indicating that heat-treatment process can make the alloys more uniform. For the cycle stability of the alloys, the hydrogen absorption rate of the annealed alloy and melt-spun alloy was much faster than that of the as-cast alloy after 500 cycles. The melt-spun alloy showed high pulverization resistance during hydrogen absorption/desorption, and exhibited an excellent cycling retention of 99% after 500 cycles, suggesting that melt-spinning process can enhance the cycle stability and improve the cycle life of the alloy.     

Hydrogen absorption-desorption cycle decay mechanism of palladium nanoparticle decorated nitrogen doped graphene

As a hydrogen storage material, palladium nanoparticle decorated nitrogen doped graphene (Pd/N-rGO) has drawn much attention owing to its high absorption capacity at moderate conditions. However, its hydrogen absorption-desorption cycle performance, which is essential for their practical application, has been rarely studied. In this paper, a simple and convenient high temperature thermal reduction method was used to synthesize nitrogen-doped graphene decorated with Pd nanoparticles (Pd/N-rGO). Taken it as a representative, the hydrogen absorption-desorption cycle performance of Pd/N-rGO was investigated. The results showed that after three cycles the hydrogen storage capacity dropped from 2.9 ​wt% to 0.8 ​wt% at 25 ​°C and 4 ​MPa pressure. It was found that the palladium nanoparticles shed from Pd/N-RGO sheet after cycle performance test, and then agglomerated. These phenomena will weaken the hydrogen spillover effect, leading to the decrease of hydrogen storage capacity. Meanwhile, decreased defects reduce the hydrogen absorption sites, which will thus deteriorate the hydrogen storage capacity.     

Effect of heat treatment on hydrogen storage properties and thermal stability of V68Ti20Cr12 alloy

Effect of heat treatment on the crystal structure, microstructure, hydrogen storage properties and thermal stability of V68Ti20Cr12 alloy prepared by arc-melting was studied in this work. It was found that both the as-cast and annealed (973 K/72 h) V68Ti20Cr12 alloys consisted of a single body-centered cubic (bcc) phase. After heat treatment, the hydrogen absorption/desorption kinetic characteristics of the as-cast alloy was improved greatly due to the homogeneous composition and perfect structure. The mechanism of hydrogen absorption/desorption process in the as-cast and annealed alloys was further investigated according to the Johnson-Mehl-Avrami (JMA) equation. The hydrogen absorption process of the as-cast and annealed alloys would be controlled by the one-dimensional diffusion process, while the hydrogen desorption process in the as-cast and annealed alloys was dominated by the geometrical contraction model. The pressure-composition-temperature (PCT) measurements show that the plateau pressure of the annealed alloy becomes comparatively flat. Furthermore, the activation energies of the dehydrogenation in the as-cast and annealed alloys were calculated using the Kissinger method, indicating that heat treatment is a very beneficial way to improve hydrogen absorption/desorption kinetics of the alloy.     

Study on the hydrogen storage property of (TiZr0.1)xCr1.7-yFeyMn0.3 (1.05

Jigang Li  Li Xu  Xiaojing Jiang  Xingguo Li 《自然科学进展(英文版)》2018,28(4):470-477

Phase evolution process and hydrogen storage performances of V72Ti18Cr10 alloy prepared by Co-precipitation-reduction method

The V₇₂Ti₁₈Cr₁₀ alloy was prepared by a co-precipitation-reduction method in order to consume less energy during whole-life alloy manufacturing, and the phase evolution process in hydrogenation/dehydrogenation process was investigated. The structure refinement analysis of the alloy contented with 1 ?wt% hydrogen after hydrogenation shows that BCC phase, BCC-hydride phase and FCC phase coexisted, but little BCT phase was found. It indicates that the phase evolution process during hydrogenation was BCC→ BCC-hydride→ FCC, nevertheless the formation of BCT phase was restrained. The limited particle sizes of the alloy in the range of 0.1–5 ?μm and fewer defects than the normal alloy ingot contributed to the suppression of BCT formation. The annealed alloy, which had similar particle sizes with the unannealed alloy, has less unevenness of the compositions than the unannealed alloy, and the annealed alloy showed flatter plateau in the hydrogenation PCT (pressure-composition-temperature) curves. However, the BCT phase in the annealed alloy appeared in its dehydrogenation process owing to the produced defects during the following dehydrogenation and the hydrogenation process. The alloy with the limited particle sizes even in the range from 0.1 ?μm to 5 ?μm could not prevent the generation of BCT phase in the dehydrogenation process.     

Hydrogen absorption-desorption characteristic of (Ti0.85Zr0.15)1.1Cr1-xMoxMn based alloys with C14 Laves phase

The microstructure and hydrogen absorption-desorption characteristic of (Ti_0.85Zr_0.15)_1.1Cr_1-xMo_xMn (x ?= ?0.05, 0.1, 0.15, 0.2 ?at.%) alloys were investigated. The results showed that the corresponding alloys were determined as a single phase of C14-type Laves structure. With the increase of Mo content, the maximum and reversible hydrogen absorption capacity decreased, the slope factor H_f increased. Among the studied alloys, (Ti_0.85Zr_0.15)_1.1Cr_0.95Mo_0.05Mn had the best overall properties for practical application of hydrogen storage materials. The maximum and reversible hydrogen storage capacity were 1.76 ?wt% and 1.09 ?wt%, the slope factor H_f was 0.51, and its dissociation enthalpy (ΔH_d) and entropy change (ΔS_d) were 23.1 ?kJ ?mol^?1H₂, 93.8J ?K^?1mol^?1H₂ at 303K, respectively. By studying the dissociation pressures of the synthesized metal hydrides, it was found that Mo had a special effect on the dissociation pressure of Ti–Zr–Cr–Mo–Mn alloys. Among the four alloys, (Ti_0.85Zr_0.15)_1.1Cr_0.95Mo_0.05Mn alloy had the largest hydrogen absorption capacity and the fastest hydrogen desorption rate, which can meet the commercialization demand of hydrogen fuel cell hydrogen supply system.     

Improvement in hydrogen storage performance of Mg by mechanical grinding with molten salt etching Ti3C2Clx

Mg-based materials are currently a hot research topic as hydrogen storage materials due to their considerable theoretical hydrogen storage capacity. However, the kinetic performance of hydrogen absorption and desorption of Mg is too slow and requires high temperature, which seriously hinders the application of this material. MXene is a new type of two-dimensional material with significant role in improving thermodynamics and kinetics. In this experiment, a two-dimensional layered MXene containing Cl functional group was prepared by molten salt etching using the Ti-containing MAX phase as the raw material. Then different ratios of Ti₃C₂Cl_x were uniformly dispersed onto the surface of Mg by high energy ball milling. The samples were characterized by hydrogen absorption and desorption kinetics, SEM, XRD, XPS, and DSC to investigate the effect of Ti₃C₂Cl_x on the hydrogen absorption and desorption performance of Mg. The onset hydrogen absorption temperature can be reduced to room temperature and the hydrogen release temperature is reduced by 200 ​°C by doping Ti₃C₂Cl_x. And there is also 5.4 ​wt% hydrogen storage in the isothermal hydrogen absorption test at 400 ​°C. The results of DSC demonstrate that the E_a of Mg+15 ​wt% Ti₃C₂Cl_x was reduced by 12.6% compared to pristine Mg. The ΔH is almost invariable. The results of XPS show that the presence of multivalent Ti promotes electron transfer and thus improves the conversion between Mg²⁺/Mg and H⁻/H. This study provides a guideline for further improving the hydrogen absorption and desorption performance of Mg-based hydrogen storage materials.     

Synergetic effect of multiple phases on hydrogen desorption kinetics and cycle durability in ball milled MgH2–PrF3–Al–Ni composite

A new MgH₂–PrF₃–Al–Ni composite was prepared by ball milling under hydrogen atmosphere. After initial dehydrogenation and rehydrogenation, Pr₃Al₁₁, MgF₂, PrH₃ and Mg₂NiH₄ nanoparticles formed accompanying the main phase MgH₂. The hydrogen absorption-desorption properties were measured by using a Sieverts-type apparatus. The results showed that the MgH₂–PrF₃–Al–Ni composite improved cycle stability and enhanced hydrogen desorption kinetics. The improvement of hydrogen absorption-desorption properties is ascribed to the synergetic effect of the in situ formed Pr₃Al₁₁, MgF₂, PrH₃ and Mg₂NiH₄ nanoparticles. This work provides an important inspiration for the improvement of hydrogen storage properties in Mg-based materials.     

Hydrogen storage of multiwalled carbon nanotubes coated with Pd-Ni nanoparticles under moderate conditions

A type of novel material with a high hy-drogen storage capacity was prepared by supporting PdNi18 alloy nanoparticles,which were synthesized by using a new colloid method,on the surface of pretreated multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The average PdNi18 alloy particle sizes calculated from XRD patterns were ca. 3 nm,and the high dis-persion of these particles on MWCNTs was con-firmed by TEM image. Hydrogen storage perform-ance of the composite was investigated under mod-erate pressure (0.1―1.5 MPa) at room temperature,and a maximum storage capacity of ca. 2.3 wt% was achieved under 1.5 MPa at room temperature,which was much higher than that reported previously under the same conditions.     

Reversible hydrogenation of AB2-type Zr–Mg–Ni–V based hydrogen storage alloys

The development of hydrogen energy is hindered by the lack of high-efficiency hydrogen storage materials. To explore new high-capacity hydrogen storage alloys, reversible hydrogen storage in AB₂-type alloy is realized by using A or B-side elemental substitution. The substitution of small atomic-radius element Zr and Mg on A-side of YNi₂ and partial substitution of large atomic-radius element V on B-side of YNi₂ alloy was investigated in this study. The obtained ZrMgNi₄, ZrMgNi₃V, and ZrMgNi₂V₂ alloys remained single Laves phase structure at as-annealed, hydrogenated and dehydrogenated states, indicating that the hydrogen-induced amorphization and disproportionation was eliminated. From ZrMgNi₄ to ZrMgNi₂V₂ with the increase of the degree of vanadium substitution, the reversible hydrogen storage capacity increased from 0.6 ?wt% (0.35H/M) to 1.8 ?wt% (1.0H/M), meanwhile the lattice stability gradually increased. The ZrMgNi₂V₂ alloy could absorb 1.8 ?wt% hydrogen in about 2 ?h ?at 300 ?K under 4 ?MPa H₂ pressure and reversibly desorb the absorbed hydrogen in approximately 30 ?min ?at 473 ?K without complicated activation process. The prominent properties of ZrMgNi₂V₂ elucidate its high potential for hydrogen storage application.     

湿法球磨结合表面改性制备贮氢合金粉

研究湿法球磨结合KBH4表面改性一步处理法对AB5型贮氢合金晶体结构和电化学性能的影响，并比较此新方法和先湿法球磨制粉后表面处理两步法制备的贮氢合金粉的电化学性能。研究结果表明：采用此新方法能显著提高贮氢合金的综合性能；当KBHt的浓度为0．08mol／L时，利用此法制得合金粉的晶体主相仍为LaNi5相，出现Al2Os杂相；其电化学容量变化不大；达到最大容量的活化次数从12降低到5；放电中值电压从1．22V升高到1．28V；倍率为2C的放电效率从79．0%提高到86．1％，容量保持率S200从74％提高到86％。     

Microstructure characterization and hydrogen storage properties study of Mg2Ni0.92M0.08 (M = Ti, V, Fe or Si) alloys

In the present study Mg_2Ni-type compounds alloyed independently with Ti,V,Fe and Si were successfully prepared by wet-milling followed by sintering.Although these alloyed Mg_2Ni compounds exhibited a similar hydrogen storage mechanism as that of pure Mg_2Ni,the dissolution of Ti,V or Fe into the Mg_2NiH_4lattice had a considerable catalytic effect on hydrogen desorption from additional MgH_2.The further structure investigations clearly indicated that the substitution of Ti for Ni could suppress the formation of the micro-twined low-temperature phase(LT2)and promote the formation of the high-temperature phase(HT),thus resulting in remarkably improved hydrogen desorption kinetics for the Mg_2Ni_(0.92)Ti_(0.08)–H system.     

Enhanced hydrogen storage properties of NaBH4–Mg(BH4)2 composites by NdF3 addition

As two important members of complex hydrides, Mg(BH₄)₂ and NaBH₄ have a high gravimetric capacity (14.9 and 10.8 ​wt%, respectively). In this study, the Mg(BH₄)₂ was synthesized by the ion exchange method. Afterwards, the Mg(BH₄)₂ and NaBH₄ composites with different amounts (30, 40 and 50 ​wt%) of NdF₃ were prepared by mechanical milling. Effects of the NdF₃ on the microstructural evolution and hydrogen storage properties were investigated. The results show that NdF₃ catalyst can significantly improve the dehydrogenation kinetics of the eutectic composites of NaBH₄–Mg(BH₄)₂. The onset hydrogen desorption temperature of the composites is about 88.6 ​°C, which is about 110 ​°C lower than that of Mg(BH₄)₂ and NaBH₄ composites. Mg(BH₄)₂–NaBH₄-0.5NdF₃ composites can released 5.2 ​wt% H₂ at 250 ​°C within 30 ​min, and the dehydrogenation capacity is significantly higher than that of Mg(BH₄)₂–NaBH₄ composites. The analysis of the dehydrogenation mechanism reveals that NdF₃ takes participate in the reaction to generate NaMgF₃ to promote the dehydrogenation reaction process of the composites.     

稀土-镁-镍基贮氢合金的研究进展

综述了近几年稀土-镁-镍基贮氢合金电极材料相结构与电化学性能等方面的研究进展。介绍了改善合金电化学性能的方法,包括合金组成的改进、热处理、表面处理、制备复合合金等方法。讨论了稀土-镁-镍基贮氢合金研究中的几个重要问题以及发展方向。     

Effects of the hierarchical pyrolysis polyaniline on reversible hydrogen storage of LiBH4

In this work,LiBH_4–20 wt%PP composite was prepared by ball-milling with as-synthesized hierarchical pyrolysis polyaniline(PP)and LiBH_4,and the hydrogen sorption performance as well as catalytic mechanism of the composite was studied.It is found that the onset desorption temperature of the composite decreases to 75°C,almost 235°C lower than that of the milled LiBH_4.Moreover,the composite could release 4.1 wt%H_2and rehydrogenate a total of 4.4 wt%H_2when the temperature raiseds up to 400°C,showing an outstanding reversibility,which even 3.9 wt%H_2can be kept after five cycles.Through scanning electron microscopy(SEM)observation and X-ray diffraction(XRD)analysis,we found that the PP surface forms some nanoholes after hydrogenation-dehydrogenation cycles,which leads to the confinement of some LiBH_4in the PP nanoporous structure,therefore,the hydrogen sorption kinetics and reversibility are significantly enhanced.In addition,we also found the oxygenic groups of the PP can react with LiBH_4forming LiBO_2and Li_3BO_3,where the containing Li–B–O bonds loaded in the porous structure of the PP catalyze the hydrogenation reaction of LiBH_4.     

Hydrogen storage properties of (Ti0.85Zr0.15)1.05Mn1.2Cr0.6V0.1M0.1 (M=Ni, Fe, Cu) alloys easily activated at room temperature

The(Ti_(0.85)Zr_(0.15))_(1.05)Mn_(1.2)Cr_(0.6)V_(0.1)M_(0.1)(M=Ni, Fe, Cu) alloys with a single C14-type Laves phase have been fabricated by arc melting. They are able to be easily activated by one hydrogen absorption and desorption cycle under 4 MPa hydrogen pressure and vacuum at room temperature. Partial substitution of M for Mn results in the increase of hydrogenation and dehydrogenation capacities in an order of Ni Fe Cu. M elements increase the absorption and desorption plateau pressure in an order of(Ti_(0.85)Zr_(0.15))_(1.05)Mn_(1.2)Cr_(0.6)V_(0.1)Cu_(0.1)(Ti_(0.85)Zr_(0.15))_(1.05)Mn_(1.2)Cr_(0.6)V_(0.1)Fe_(0.1)(Ti_(0.85)Zr_(0.15))_(1.05)Mn_(1.2)Cr_(0.6)V_(0.1)Ni_(0.1). The(Ti_(0.85)Zr_(0.15))_(1.05)Mn_(1.2)Cr_(0.6)V_(0.1)Cu_(0.1) alloy has reversible hydrogen capacities of 1.81 wt% at 273 K and 1.58 wt% at 318 K with formation enthalpy(ΔH_(ab)) of-20.66 kJ mol~(-1) and decomposition enthalpy(ΔH_(de)) of 27.37 kJ mol~(-1). The differences in the hydrogen storage properties can be attributed to the increase of the interstitial size for hydrogen accommodation caused by the increase of unit cell volumes in the order of(Ti_(0.85)Zr_(0.15))_(1.05)Mn_(1.2)Cr_(0.6)V_(0.1)Ni_(0.1)(Ti_(0.85)Zr_(0.15))_(1.05)Mn_(1.2)Cr_(0.6)V_(0.1)Fe_(0.1)(Ti_(0.85)Zr_(0.15))_(1.05)Mn_(1.2)Cr_(0.6)V_(0.1)Cu_(0.1).     

Catalytic effect of a novel MgC_(0.5)Co_3 compound on the dehydrogenation of MgH_2

The application of magnesium hydride(MgH_2) is limited due to the high reaction temperature and slow kinetics during dehydrogenation. In order to ameliorate the dehydrogenation property of MgH_2, MgC_(0.5)Co_3 compound with induction and catalytic effects was introduced into the Mg/MgH_2 system via ball-milling and hydriding combustion methods in present study. Compared to the pure MgH_2,the initial hydrogen desorption temperature of MgH_2–MgC_(0.5)Co_3 composite lowered to 237°C, decreasing by 141°C. At 325°C the MgH_2–MgC_(0.5)Co_3 composite could release 4.38 wt% H_2 within 60 min, which is 4.5 times the capacity of hydrogen released by as milled-MgH_2. Besides, the hydrogen desorption activation energy of the MgH_2–MgC_(0.5)Co_3 composite was dramatically reduced to 126.7 ± 1.4 k J/mol. It was observed that MgC_(0.5)Co_3 was chemically stable and no chemical transformation occurred after cycling, which not only inhibited the nucleation and growth of composite particles, but also had a positive effect on the hydrogen desorption reaction of MgH_2 due to its catalytic effect.This study may provide references for designing and synthesizing Mg–C–Co alloy compound for the Mg-based hydrogen storage area.     

Preparation and catalytic effect of porous Co3O4 on the hydrogen storage properties of a Li-B-N-H system

A porous Co_3O_4 with a particle size of 1–3 μm was successfully prepared by heating Co-based metal organic frameworks MOF-74(Co) up to 500 °C in air atmospheric conditions. The as-prepared porous Co_3O_4 significantly reduced the dehydrogenation temperatures of the LiBH_4-2LiNH_2 system and improved the purity of the released hydrogen. The LiBH_4-2LiNH_2-0.05/3Co_3O_4 sample started to release hydrogen at 140 °C and released hydrogen levels of approximately 9.7 wt% at 225 °C. The end temperature for hydrogen release was lowered by 125 °C relative to that of the pristine sample. Structural analyses revealed that the as-prepared porous Co_3O_4 is in-situ reduced to metallic Co, which functions as an active catalyst, reducing the kinetic barriers and lowering the dehydrogenation temperatures of the LiBH_4-2LiNH_2 system. More importantly, the porous Co_3O_4-containing sample exhibited partially improved reversibility for hydrogen storage in the LiBH_4-2LiNH_2 system.     

Current Research Progress in Magnesium Borohydride for Hydrogen Storage (A review)

Hydrogen storage in solid-state materials is believed to be a most promising hydrogen-storage technology for high efficiency, low risk and low cost. Mg(BH₄)₂ is regarded as one of most potential materials in hydrogen storage areas in view of its high hydrogen capacities (14.9 ​wt% and 145–147 ​kg ​cm⁻³). However, the drawbacks of Mg(BH₄)₂ including high desorption temperatures (about 250 ​°C–580 ​°C), sluggish kinetics, and poor reversibility make it difficult to be used for onboard hydrogen storage of fuel cell vehicles. A lot of researches on improving the dehydrogenation reaction thermodynamics and kinetics have been done, mainly including: additives or catalysts doping, nanoconfining Mg(BH₄)₂ in nanoporous hosts, forming reactive hydrides systems, multi-cation/anion composites or other derivatives of Mg(BH₄)₂. Some favorable results have been obtained. This review provides an overview of current research progress in magnesium borohydride, including: synthesis methods, crystal structures, decomposition behaviors, as well as emphasized performance improvements for hydrogen storage.     

Crystallite growth characteristics of Mg during hydrogen desorption of MgH_2

MgH_2 is one of promising hydrogen storage materials,but Mg crystallites grow up very fast during hydrogen desorption,leading to the degradation of hydrogen storage properties.Therefore the growth behavior and mechanism of Mg crystallites during hydrogen desorption of nanocrystalline MgH_2 were investigated in this work.It was found that the transformation from MgH_2 to Mg occurred by the surface-controlled‘nucleation and growth' mechanism.After the instantaneous nucleation of Mg at free surfaces of MgH_2 particles,Mg crystallites grew through three stages,namely one-dimensional,then two-dimensional and finally one-dimensional growths.In the second stage,Mg crystallites grew quickly as compared with other stages.After complete hydrogen desorption,the average Mg crystallite size in MgH_2-10 wt% Pr_3 Al_(11) sample was smaller than that in pure MgH_2 sample due to the presence of Pr_3 Al_(11).