Rate enhancement of hydrogen generation through the reaction of magnesium hydride with water by MgO addition and ball milling

The variations of the amount of hydrogen generated with the kind of powders and the condition of the magnesium and magnesium hydride powders were investigated. By the reaction of Al, TiH2 and unmilled and milled Mg powders with water, the H2 generation rates were very low and the quantities of H2 generated were extremely small. The quantity of H2 generated by the reaction of unmilled MgH2 powder with water was greater than those generated by the reactions of Al, TiH2, and unmilled and milled Mg powders with water. The MgH2 powder milled for 2 h, with finer particles, generated much more H2 by its reaction with water than unmilled MgH2 powder. The MgH2 + 5%MgO powder milled for 2 h generated much more H2 by its reaction with water than the Al, TiH2, unmilled Mg, milled Mg, unmilled MgH2, and milled MgH2 powders.