Nanocrystalline magnesium for hydrogen storage

The hydrogen storage properties of MgH2 are significantly enhanced by a pro per engineering of the microstructure and surface. Magnesium powders are pr oduced in a nanocrystalline form, which gives remarkable improvement of abs orption/desorption kinetics. Ball milling, which is used for fabrication of nanocrystalline magnesium, improves both the morphology of the powders and the surface activity for hydrogenation. The hydriding properties are furth er enhanced by catalysis through nano-particles of Pd located on magnesium surface. Nanocrystalline magnesium with such a catalyst exhibits an outstan ding hydrogenation performance: very fast kinetics, operation at lower temp eratures than conventional magnesium and no need for activation. (C) 1999 E lsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.