The present study reports the effect of Ni addition on the structure and hydrogen storage properties of Mg(17)Al(12) alloy. The Mg(17)Al(12) is synthesized by conventional melting process, and then ball-milled with Ni powder to form Mg(17)Al(12)-X wt.% Ni (X = 0, 10, 20) alloys. XRD results showed that the formation of stable Al(3)Ni and Al(3)Ni(2) phases in the Ni-containing alloys after hydrogenation results in the production of surplus Mg during the desorption process. The catalytic effect of surplus Mg on the Ni-containing alloy is responsible for an enhancement of the hydrogen capacity and absorption rate, compared with ball-milled Mg(17)Al(12) below 300 degrees C. (C) 2010 Published by Elsevier B.V.
