Effects of Ni addition on hydrogen storage properties of Mg17Al12 alloy

The present study reports the effect of Ni addition on the structure and hydrogen storage properties of Mg17Al12 alloy. The Mg17Al12 is synthesized by conventional melting process, and then ball-milled with Ni powder to form Mg17Al12–X wt.% Ni (X = 0, 10, 20) alloys. XRD results showed that the formation of stable Al3Ni and Al3Ni2 phases in the Ni-containing alloys after hydrogenation results in the production of surplus Mg during the desorption process. The catalytic effect of surplus Mg on the Ni-containing alloy is responsible for an enhancement of the hydrogen capacity and absorption rate, compared with ball-milled Mg17Al12 below 300 °C.