Development of MgH2-Ni Hydrogen Storage Alloy Requiring No Activation Process via Reactive Mechanical Grinding

$MgH_2$ was employed as a starting material instead of Mg in this work. A sample with a composition of 94 wt% $MgH_2-6$ wt% Ni (called $MgH_2-6Ni$) was prepared by reactive mechanical grinding. The hydriding and dehydriding properties were then examined. An $MgH_2-Ni$ hydrogen storage alloy that does not require an activation process was developed. The alloy was prepared in a planetary ball mill by grinding for 4 h at a ball disc revolution speed of 250 rpm under a hydrogen pressure of about 12 bar. The sample absorbed 3.74 wt% H for 5 min, 4.07 wt% H for 10 min, and 4.41 wt% H for 60 min at 573 K under 12 bar $H_2$, and desorbed 0.93 wt% H for 10 min, 1.99 wt% H for 30 min, and 3.16 wt% H for 60 min at 573 K under 1.0 bar $H_2$. $MgH_2-6Ni$ after reactive mechanical grinding contained ${\beta}-MgH_2$ (a room temperature form of $MgH_2$), Ni, ${\gamma}-MgH_2$ (a high pressure form of $MgH_2$), and a very small amount of MgO. Reactive mechanical grinding of Mg with Ni is considered to facilitate nucleation, and to reduce the particle size of Mg. $Mg_2Ni$ formed during reactive mechanical grinding also increases the hydriding and dehydriding rates of the sample.