Research of heat treatment of low-Co AB_5 type hydrogen storage alloys for MH-Ni batteries

The effects of low-Co AB_5 type hydrogen storage alloys prepared by quenchingand annealing on the performances of MH-Ni batteries were investigated, and the characteristics ofthe low-Co AB_5 type hydrogen storage alloys were compared with those of the high-Co AB_5 typehydrogen storage alloy as well. The results showed that the faster the cooling of the low-Cohydrogen storage alloy is, the better homogeneity of the chemical composition for the alloy and thelonger cycle life of the battery are, but the electrochemical discharge capacity and high-ratedischarge ability are reduced. The high-rate discharge ability and charge retention of MH-Nibatteries for the conventional as-cast annealed low-Co hydrogen storage alloy were superior to thosefor the rapidly quenched low-Co hydrogen storage alloy and the high-Co hydrogen storage alloy, buta little inferior in the cycle life.

AB_5-type Hydrogen Storage Alloy Modified with Ti/Zr Used as Anodic Materials in Borohydride Fuel Cell

Fuel cell using borohydride as the fuel has received much attention. AB5-type hydrogen storage alloy used as the anodic material instead of noble metals has been investigated. In order to restrain the generation of hydrogen and enhance the utilization of borohydride, Ti/Zr metal powders has been added into the parent LmNi4.78Mn0.22 （where Lm is La-richened mischmetal） alloy （LNM） by ball milling and heat treatment methods. It is found that the addition of Ti/Zr metal powders lowers the electrochemical catalytic activity of the electrodes, at the same time, restrains the generation of hydrogen and enhances the utilization of the fuel. All the results show that the hydrogen generation rate or the utilization of the fuel is directly relative to the electrochemical catalytic activity or the discharge capability of the electrodes. The utilization of the fuel increases with discharge current density. It is very important to find a balance between the discharge capability and the utilization of the fuel.

Low-temperature performance and high-rate discharge capability of AB_5-type non-stoichiometric hydrogen storage alloy

Low-temperature performance and high-rate discharge capability of AB5-type non-stoichiometric hydrogen storage are studied. X-ray diffraction(XRD),pressure-composition-temperature(PCT) curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS) are applied to characterize the electrochemical properties of ABx(x=4.8,4.9,5.0,5.1,5.2) alloys. The results show that the non-stoichiometric alloys exhibit better electrochemical properties compared with that of the AB5 alloy.

Photoelectrochemical characteristics of AB_5-type hydrogen storage alloy modified with SrTiO_3 photocatalyst

Perovskite-type SrTiO3 powders were prepared by using strontium acetate, tetrabutyl titanate and sodium hydroxide via direct hydrolysis-precipitation process. AB5-type hydrogen storage alloy（HSA） electrodes modified with SrTiO3 powders were prepared and the photoelectrochemical characteristics of the as-prepared electrodes were investigated. The results of cyclic voltammograph show that the current of reduction peak increases remarkably under the light irradiation. The obvious photochargeable properties are obtained for the hydrogen storage alloys modified with Perovskite-type SrTiO3 powders. During photocharging process, the potential of the electrode shifts quickly to negative direction and a potential plateau occurs. HSA electrode modified with SrTiO3 powders prepared by direct hydrolysis-precipitation process gives the higher potential of about -0.90V（vs Hg/HgO） under the light irradiation. SEM observation discloses that a large amount of microcracks occur on the surface of the electrode after photocharging process, which is caused by the formation of hydride in the bulk of electrode.

Design of Zr-based AB_2 type hydrogen storage alloys

The influences of the ratio of the radius of atom A（rA） to radius of atom B（rB）, electronegativity and electron number were discussed on the Laves phase formation and the characteristics of Zr-based AB2 type hydrogen storage alloy. An enthalpy model of Zr-based AB2 alloy was obtained from known data and twelve Zr-based alloys were designed to test the model. The results show that the predicted values are in good agreement with the experimental values. The model can be used for predicting enthalpy values of Zr-based hydrogen storage alloys and settles a foundation for experiments.

Electrochemical Properties of Strip Casting LPCNi_(3.55) Co_(0.75) Mn_(0.4) Al_(0.3) Hydrogen Storage Alloys

LPCNi 3.55 Co 0.75 Mn 0.4 Al 0.3 hydrogen storage alloy was investigated, and the effects of thickness of its strip casting ingots(as cast) on the electrochemical performances were discussed. It was found that the 0.2 C discharge capacity increased with the increase of the thickness (from 1 mm to 10 mm) of the ingots, mainly due to the enlargement of the unit cell volume; Among the thickness of the ingots in our study, 10 mm sample showed a better activation property; LPCNi 3.55 Co 0.75 Mn 0.4 Al 0.3 alloy with 10mm showed higher comprehensive properties than those with other thickness under 1C rate.

Effects of Strip Casting and Annealing on Electrochemical Properties of LPCNi_(3.55)Co_(0.75)Mn_(0.4)Al_(0.3) Hydrogen Storage Alloys

The effect of thickness (1 similar to 10 mm) of the ingots on the electrochemical properties of as-cast and annealed strip cast LPCNi3.55Co0.75Mn0.4Al0.3 hydrogen storage alloys was investigated. It is found that the 0.2 C discharge capacity of as-cast LPCNi3.55Co0.75Mn0.4Al0.3 alloy increases with the increase of the thickness of the ingots. As-east alloy with the thickness of 10 mm shows better activation property, higher 1C discharge capacity and better cyclic stability than others. It is mainly contributed to its larger unit cell volume and less internal stress. Annealed LPCNi3.55Co0.75Mn0.4Al0.3 alloy with the thickness of 3 mm shows much better comprehensive electrochemical properties than as-east one; The cyclic. stability of the alloy with the thickness of 6 mm and the activation properties of the alloys with the thickness of 3 similar to 6 mm are improved after annealing. It is mainly owing to the great release of internal stress and the decrease of the segregation of Mn in the alloys.

Effects of rapid quenching on structure and cycle stability of La-Mg-Ni-Co type hydrogen storage alloy

In order to improve the cycle stability of La-Mg-Ni-Co type alloy electrode, rapid quenching technology was employed. The effects of rapid quenching on the microstructure and cycle stability of the alloy were investigated. The obtained results show that the La2Mg(Ni0.85Co0.15)9M0.1 (M=B, Cr) alloy electrodes are composed of (La, Mg)Ni3 phase, LaNi5 phase and a small amount of the LaNi2 phase. A trace of the Ni2B phase exists in the as-cast MB alloy, and the Ni2B phase in the alloy nearly disappears after rapid quenching. Rapid quenching technology can slightly improve the cycling life of the alloy. When the quenching rate increases from 0 m·s-1 (As-cast is defined as quenching rate of 0 m·s-1) to 30 m·s-1, the cycle lives of the MB, MCr alloys enhance from 86 and 87 cycles to 106 and 119 cycles, respectively. On the other hand, the average capacity decay rates of the MB, MCr alloys decrease from 1.7172 and 1.7178 mAh·g-1·cycle-1 to 1.5751 and 1.3060 mAh·g-1·cycle-1 after 86 charge-discharges cycling, respectively.

Crystal structure and hydrogen storage properties of(La,Ce)Ni_(5-x)M_x(M = Al, Fe, or Co) alloys

The effects of partial substitution of La by Ce and Ni by Al, Fe, or Co in LaNi_5-based alloys on hydrogen storage performance were systematically studied. All samples were prepared using vacuum arc melting in an argon atmosphere. The results showed that for LaNi_(5-x)M_x(M = Al, Fe, or Co) alloys, the lattice constants and unit cell volumes increased with an increasing amount of Al and Fe. On the other hand, these parameters decreased upon partial substitution of La by Ce. In addition, the lattice constant remained almost constant in the La_(0.6)Ce_(0.4)Ni_(5–x)Cox alloys regardless of the value of x(x = 0.3, 0.6, or 0.9), as Ce might enhance the homogeneity of the CaCu_5-type phase in Co-containing alloys. The hydrogen storage properties of the alloys were investigated using pressure, composition, and temperature isotherms. The experimental results showed that the plateau pressure decreased with an increasing content of Al, Fe, or Co, but it increased with Ce addition. Furthermore, the plateau pressures of all Co-containing alloys were almost identical upon substitution with Ce. Finally, the enthalpy(ΔH) and entropy(ΔS) values for all alloys were calculated using van't Hoff plots. The relationship between the lattice parameters and enthalpy changes for hydrogenation will be discussed.

Effect of Fe and Cu on Electrochemical Characteristics of Low-Co AB5 Type Alloys

In order to further reduce the cost of AB5 type rare earth-based hydrogen storage alloy, a low-Co AB5 type hydrogen storage alloy were by substituting Co with Cu and Fe.The characteristics of these alloys have been investigated by means of XRD, PCT, and measurement of electrochemical capacity and cycle life.The test results show that the effect of these two kinds of substituting elements on discharge capacity is Cu ＞ Fe, and the cycle life is on the contrary.Both of them have no distinct influence on activity speed, but activity speed increases with the decrease of Co.By the order way, the high discharge rate characteristics rise with the addition of Cu and decreasing of Co.

Influences of melt spinning on electrochemical hydrogen storage performance of nanocrystalline and amorphous Mg_2Ni-type alloys

In order to improve the electrochemical hydrogen storage performance of the Mg2Ni-type electrode alloys, Mg in the alloy was partially substituted by La, and the nanocrystalline and amorphous Mg2Ni-type Mg20-xLaxNi10 (x=0, 2) alloys were synthesized by melt-spinning technique. The microstructures of the as-spun alloys were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The electrochemical hydrogen storage properties of the experimental alloys were tested. The results show that no amorphous phase is detected in the as-spun Mg20Ni10 alloy, but the as-spun Mg18La2Ni10 alloy holds a major amorphous phase. As La content increases from 0 to 2, the maximum discharge capacity of the as-spun (20 m/s) alloys rises from 96.5 to 387.1 mA·h/g, and the capacity retaining rate (S20) at the 20th cycle grows from 31.3% to 71.7%. Melt-spinning engenders an impactful effect on the electrochemical hydrogen storage performances of the alloys. With the increase in the spinning rate from 0 to 30 m/s, the maximum discharge capacity increases from 30.3 to 135.5 mA·h/g for the Mg20Ni10 alloy, and from 197.2 to 406.5 mA·h/g for the Mg18La2Ni10 alloy. The capacity retaining rate (S20) of the Mg20Ni10 alloy at the 20th cycle slightly falls from 36.7% to 27.1%, but it markedly mounts up from 37.3% to 78.3% for the Mg18La2Ni10 alloy.

Gaseous and Electrochemical Hydrogen Storage Kinetics of As-quenched Nanocrystalline and Amorphous Mg_2Ni-type Alloys

The nanocrystalline and amorphous Mg2Ni-type Mg2Ni1-xCox （x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4） alloys were synthesized by melt quenching technology. The structures of the as-cast and quenched alloys were characterized by XRD, SEM and HRTEM. The gaseous hydrogen storage kinetics of the alloys was measured using an automatically controlled Sieverts apparatus. The alloy electrodes were charged and discharged with a constant current density in order to investigate the electrochemical hydrogen storage kinetics of the alloys. The results demonstrate that the substitution of Co for Ni results in the formation of secondary phases MgCo2 and Mg instead of altering the major phase Mg2Ni. No amorphous phase is detected in the as-quenched Co- ffee alloy, however, a certain amount of amorphous phase is clearly found in the as-quenched alloys substituted by Co. Furthermore, both the rapid quenching and the Co substitution significantly improve the gaseous and electrochemical hydrogen storage kinetics of the alloys, for which the notable increase of the hydrogen diffusion coefficient （D） along with the limiting current density （IL） and the obvious decline of the electrochemical impedance generated by both the Co substitution and the rapid quenching are basically responsible.

Influence of rapid quenching on hydrogen storage characteristics of nanocrystalline Mg_2Ni-type alloys

Nanocrystalline Mg2Ni-type alloys with nominal compositions of Mg20Ni10–xCux(x=0,1,2,3,4,mass fraction,%) were synthesized by rapid quenching technique.The microstructures of the as-cast and quenched alloys were characterized by XRD,SEM and HRTEM.The electrochemical hydrogen storage performances were tested by an automatic galvanostatic system.The hydriding and dehydriding kinetics of the alloys were measured using an automatically controlled Sieverts apparatus.The results show that all the as-quenched alloys hold the typical nanocrystalline structure and the rapid quenching does not change the major phase Mg2Ni.The rapid quenching significantly improves the electrochemical hydrogen storage capacity of the alloys,whereas it slightly impairs the cycling stability of the alloys.Additionally,the hydrogen absorption and desorption capacities of the alloys significantly increase with rising quenching rate.

Structure and Electrochemical Properties of A_2B_7-Type La-Mg-Ni Hydrogen Storage Alloys

Investigation of alloy structure shows that La2-xMgxNi7 （x = 0.3 - 0.8） alloys are mainly com- posed of Ce/Ni7-type, Gd2Co7-type and PuNi3-type phase. The influence of Mg content in alloys on the phase structure is great, resulting in a linear decrease of the unit cell parameters of main phases and increase of hydrogen absorption/desorption plateau as Mg content increases. Electrochemical measurements show that as the Mg content increases, the discharge capacity of alloy electrodes first increases and then decreases. The cyclic stability presents a deteriorative trend. La1.4Mg0.6 Ni7 alloy electrode exhibits the maximum electrochemical discharge capacity （378 mAh·g^-1）, and the La1.6Mg0.4Ni7 alloy electrode shows the best cyclic stability （S270 = 81%）.

Surface Modification of AB_2 and AB_5 Hydrogen Storage Alloy Electrodes by the Hot-Charging Treatment

The effect of the hot-charging treatment on the performance of AB2 and AB5 hydrogen storage alloy electrodes was investigated. The result showed that the treatment can markedly improve the voltage plateau ratio (VPR), the high rate discharge ability (HRDA), the diffusion coefficient of hydrogen DH and the discharge capacity of the AB2 hydrogen storage alloy electrode. The SEM analysis showed that the hot-charging treatment brings about a Ni-rich surface due to the dissolution of Zr oxides. It is also very helpful for the improvement of the kinetic properties of AB2 hydrogen storage alloy electrode because the microcracking of the surface results in fresh surface. This can be the basic modification treatment for NiMH battery used in electric vehicles (EVs) in the future. But for AB5 type alloys, the treatment has the disadvantage of impairing the comprehensive electrochemical properties, because the surface of the alloy may be corroded during the treatment. The mechanism of the surface modification of the electrode is also proposed.

Effect of melt spinning on gaseous hydrogen storage characteristics of nanocrystalline and amorphous Nd-added Mg_2Ni-type alloys

Nanocrystalline and amorphous Mg-Nd-Ni-Cu quaternary alloys with a composition of(Mg_(24)Ni_(10)Cu_2)_(100-x)Nd_x(x=0, 5, 10, 15, 20) were prepared by melt spinning technology and their structures as well as gaseous hydrogen storage characteristics were investigated. The XRD, TEM and SEM linked with EDS detections reveal that the as-spun Nd-free alloy holds an entire nanocrystalline structure but a nanocrystalline and amorphous structure for the as-spun Nd-added alloy, implying that the addition of Nd facilitates the glass forming in the Mg_2Ni-type alloy. Furthermore, the degree of amorphization of the as-spun Nd-added alloy and thermal stability of the amorphous structure clearly increase with the spinning rate rising. The melt spinning ameliorates the hydriding and dehydriding kinetics of the alloys dramatically. Specially, the rising of the spinning rate from 0(the as-cast was defined as the spinning rate of 0 m/s) to 40 m/s brings on the hydrogen absorption saturation ratio(R_5~a)(a ratio of the hydrogen absorption quantity in 5 min to the saturated hydrogen absorption capacity) increasing from 36.9% to 91.5% and the hydrogen desorption ratio(R_(1 0)~d)(a ratio of the hydrogen desorption quantity in 10 min to the saturated hydrogen absorption capacity) rising from 16.4% to 47.7% for the(x=10) alloy, respectively.

Effect of B and Fe substitution on structure of AB_3-type Co-free hydrogen storage alloy

A series of hydrogen storage Co-free AB3-type alloys were directly synthesized with vacuum mid-frequency melting method,within which Ni of La0.7Mg0.3Ni3 alloy was substituted by Fe,B and(FeB) alloy,respectively.Alloys were characterized by XRD,EDS and SEM to investigate the effects of B and Fe substitution for Ni on material structure.The content of LaMg2Ni9 phase within La0.7Mg0.3Ni3 alloy reaches 37.9% and that of La0.7Mg0.3Ni2.9(FeB)0.1 alloys reduces to 23.58%.Among all samples,ground particles with different shapes correspond to different phases.The major substitution occurs in LaMg2Ni9 phase.Electrochemical tests indicate that substituted alloys have different electrochemical performance,which is affected by phase structures of alloy.The discharge capacity of La0.7Mg0.3Ni3 alloy reaches 337.3 mA·h/g,but La0.7Mg0.3Ni2.9(FeB)0.1 alloy gets better high rate discharge(HRD) performance at the discharge rate of 500 mA/g with a high HRD value of 73.19%.

Effects of alloying side B on Ti-based AB_2 hydrogen storage alloys

Ti-based AB2-type hydrogen storage alloys are a group of promising materials, which will probably replace the prevalent rare earth-based AB5-type alloys and be adopted as the main cathode materials of nickel-metal hydride （Ni-MH） batteries in the near future. Alloying in side B is a major way to improve the performance of Ti-based AB2-type alloys. Based on recent studies, the effects of alloying elements in side B upon the performance of Ti-based AB2-type hydrogen storage alloys are systematically reviewed here. These performances are divided into two categories, namely PCI characteristics, including hydrogen storage capacity （HSC）, plateau pressure （PP）, pressure hysteresis （PH） and pressure plateau sloping （PPS）, and electrochemical properties, including discharge capacity （DC）, activation property （AP）, cycling stability （CS） and high-rate dischargeability （HRD）. Furthermore, the existing problems in these investigations and some suggestions for future research are proposed.

Effect of Rare Earth Elements on Structure and Electrochemical Properties of PuNi_3-type Hydrogen Storage Alloys

Structure and electrochemical properties of (La, Ce, Pr, Nd)_2MgNi_9 hydrogen storage alloys were investigated through orthogonal design experiments, and the alloys were obtained through induction melting followed by annealing treatment. The structure of main phase in alloys belongs to PuNi_3-type with a space group R3m. Rare earth elements, as a substitute of lanthanum, have a significant effect on phase structure of alloys, elements of cerium and neodymium are beneficial to the formation of Gd_2Co_7-type phase with a space group P 6_3/mmc. Rare earth elements can decrease the unit cell volume of main phase of alloys dramatically, and increase the axis ratio. The results of electrochemical experiment showed that the discharge capacity of alloy electrodes ranged from 342.97 to 380.68 mAh·g -1, and elements of cerium and neodymium can reduce the discharge capacity of alloy electrodes significantly. Compared to the electrode of La_2MgNi_9 alloy, the substitution of lanthanum by rare earth elements did not improve the cyclic stability of alloy electrodes due to the anisotropic structure change of unit cell. While rare-earth elements can improve the high rate dischargeability of alloy electrodes, the high rate dischargeability of alloy electrodes could reach the maximum when the unit cell volume of PuNi_3-type structure was about 0532 nm.