THE HYDROGEN STORAGE PROPERTIES AND THE MECHANISM OF THE HYDRIDING PROCESS OF SOME MULTICOMPONENT MAGNESIUM-BASE HYDROGEN STORAGE ALLOYS

The hydrogen storage properties of multi-component magnesium-base allo ys have been studied and it was found that Mg(0.833)Ni(0.066)Cu(0.095) Ml(0.006) has good hydriding/dehydriding properties (Ml stands for La- rich mischmetal). Based upon the investigation of the relation between hydriding/dehydriding behaviour and micrographic morphology, it was f ound that the morphology of some phase constituents in the alloy has a n important influence on the hydriding/dehydriding processes. The effe ct of surface segregation of elements Ni, Cu and RE (rare earth) on ki netics of hydriding/dehydriding processes has been examined by means o f AES and metallographic observations. On the basis of all these exper imental observations, a model for the hydriding/dehydriding processes of the multi-component magnesium-base alloys-the model of surface segr egation and interface-microcrack passages-has been proposed.