Hydrogen storage material

Abstract

An unactivated, poorly activatable hydrogen storage component and an activated hydrogen storage component are mixed to prepare a hydrogen storage material. When the hydrogen storage material is activated, the poorly activatable hydrogen storage component is converted to a hydrogen storable state in a remarkably short time. The poorly activatable hydrogen storage component may be a V—Cr—Ti hydrogen storage alloy having a body-centered cubic (BCC) crystal structure. The activated hydrogen storage component preferably is MgH x (0.1≦x≦2) doped with a nanoparticle of at least one atom selected from the group of Ni, Fe, Ti, Mn, and V.

1 . A hydrogen storage material comprising a poorly activatable hydrogen storage component and an activated hydrogen storage component, wherein 10 hours or more are required to activate said poorly activatable hydrogen storage component at a hydrogen pressure of 10 MPa or less and at a temperature of 100° C. or lower. 
   
   
       2 . A hydrogen storage material according to  claim 1 , wherein said poorly activatable hydrogen storage component comprises a body-centered cubic hydrogen storage alloy. 
   
   
       3 . A hydrogen storage material according to  claim 2 , wherein said body-centered cubic hydrogen storage alloy is one of a V—Cr—Ti hydrogen storage alloy, a V—Cr—Al hydrogen storage alloy, a V—Cr—Mo hydrogen storage alloy, a V—Ti—Mo hydrogen storage alloy, a V—W hydrogen storage alloy, a V—Cr—Ti—Al hydrogen storage alloy, and a V—Cr—Mo—Al hydrogen storage alloy. 
   
   
       4 . A hydrogen storage material according to  claim 1 , wherein said poorly activatable hydrogen storage component comprises one of a Ti—Zr—Fe—Cr—Ni alloy, a Ti—Fe—Cr—Mn alloy, and a Ti—Fe—Cr—Cu alloy. 
   
   
       5 . A hydrogen storage material according to  claim 1 , wherein said poorly activatable hydrogen storage component comprises one of an La—Ce—Ni—Mn alloy and an La—Ce—Ni—Fe alloy. 
   
   
       6 . A hydrogen storage material according to  claim 1 , wherein said activated hydrogen storage component comprises MgH x  (0.1≦x≦2) doped with a nanoparticle of at least one atom selected from the group of Ni, Fe, Ti, Mn, and V. 
   
   
       7 . A hydrogen storage material according to  claim 1 , wherein said activated hydrogen storage component comprises an activated product of said poorly activatable hydrogen storage component. 
   
   
       8 . A hydrogen storage material according to  claim 1 , wherein said activated hydrogen storage component comprises activated LaNi 5  or TiCr 2 . 
   
   
       9 . A hydrogen storage material according to  claim 1 , wherein a weight ratio of said activated hydrogen storage component to said hydrogen storage material is 0.1% to 10% by weight.