Effect of La/Ce ratio on the structure and electrochemical characteristics of La0.7-xCexMg0.3Ni2.8Co0.5 (x=0. 1-0.5) hydrogen storage alloys

The effect of La/Ce ratio on the structure and electrochemical characteristics of the La0.7-xCexMg0.3Ni2.8Co0.5 (x = 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5) alloys has been studied systematically. The result of the Rietveld analyses shows that, except for small amount of impurity phases including LaNi and LaNi2, all these alloys mainly consist of two phases: the La(La, Mg)(2)Ni-9 phase with the rhombohedral PuNi3-type structure and the LaNi5 phase with the hexagonal CaCU5-type structure. The abundance of the La(La, Mg)(2)Ni-9 phase decreases with increasing cerium content whereas the LaNi5 phase increases with increasing Ce content, moreover, both the a and cell volumes of the two phases decrease with the increase of Ce content. The maximum discharge capacity decreases from 367.5 mAh g(-1) (x = 0.1) to 68.3 mAh g(-1) (x = 0.5) but the cycling life gradually improve. As the discharge current density is 1200 mA g(-1), the HRD increases from 55.4% (x = 0.1) to 67.5% (x = 0.3) and then decreases to 52.1% (x = 0.5). The cell volume reduction with increasing x is detrimental to hydrogen diffusion D and accordingly decreases the low temperature dischargeability of the La0.7-xCexMg0.3Ni2.8Co0.5 (x = 0.1-0.5) alloy electrodes.

Crystallographic and electrochemical characteristics of La0.7Mg0.3Ni3.5-x (Al0.5Mo0.5)(x) (x=0-0.8) hydrogen storage alloys

The crystal structure, hydrogen storage property and electrochemical characteristics of the La0.7Mg0.3Ni3.5-x(Al0.5Mo0.5), (x=0-0.8) alloys have been investigated systematically. It can be found that with X-ray powder diffraction and Rietveld analysis the alloys are of multiphase alloy and consisted of impurity LaNi phase and two main crystallographic phases, namely the La(La, Mg)(2)Ni-9 phase and the LaNi5 phase, and the lattice parameter and the cell volume of both the La(La, Mg)(2)Ni-9 phase and the LaNi5 phase increases with increasing A] and Mo content in the alloys. The P-C isotherms curves indicate that the hydrogen storage capacity of the alloy first increases and then decreases with increasing x, and the equilibrium pressure decreases with increasing x. The electrochemical measurements show that the maximum discharge capacity first increases from 354.2 (v = 0) to 397.6 mAh g(-1) (x = 0.6) and then decreases to 370.4 mAh g(-1) (x= 0.8). The high-rate dischargeability of the alloy electrode increases lineally from 55.7% (x=0) to 73.8% (x=0.8) at the discharge current density of 1200 mA g(-1). Moreover, the exchange current density of the alloy electrodes also increases monotonously with increasing x.

Electrochemical characteristics and microstructure of Zr0.9Ti0.1Ni1.1Mn0.6V0.3-LaNi5 composite hydrogen storage alloys

AB(2-x)%LaNi5 (x =0, 1, 5, 10) composite alloys were prepared by melting Zr0.9Ti0.1Ni1.1Mn0.6V0.3 with a small amount of LaNi5 alloy as addition. The microstructure and electrochemical characteristics of the composite alloys were investigated by means of XRD, SEM, EDS and electrochemical measurements. It was shown that LaNi5 addition does not change the basic hexagonal C14 Laves phase of AB(2) alloys, but some second phases have segregated. It was found that the addition of LaNi5 greatly improves the activation property, high-rate dischargeability (HRD) and charge-discharge cycling stability of AB(2) Laves phase alloy. At current density of 1200 mA/g, HRD of the alloy increases from 38.92% (x =0) to 60.09% (x = 10). The capacity retention of the alloy after 200 charge-discharge cycles increases from 57. 10% (x = 0) to 83.86% (x = 5) and 67.31% (x = 10). The improvement of the electrochemical characteristics caused by LaNi5 addition seems to be related to formation of the second phases.

The structure and electrochemical characteristics of La0.67Mg0.33 (Ni0.8Co0.1Mn0.1)(x) (x=2.5-5.0) multiphase alloys for nickel-metal hydride batteries

This paper presents results concerning structure and electrochemical characteristics of the La0.67Mg0.33 (Ni0.8Co0.1Mn0.1) (x) (x=2.5-5.0) alloy. It can be found from the result of the Rietveld analyses that the structures of the alloys change obviously with increasing x from 2.5 to 5.0. The main phase of the alloys with x=2.5-3.5 is LaMg2Ni9 phase with a PuNi3-type rhombohedral structure, but the main phase of the alloys with x=4.0-5.0 is LaNi(5)phase with a CaCu5-type hexagonal structure. Furthermore, the phase ratio, lattice parameter and cell volume of the LaMg2Ni9 phase and the LaNi5 phase change with increasing x. The electrochemical studies show that the maximum discharge capacity increases from 214.7 mAh/g (x=2.5) to 391.1 mAh/g (x=3.5) and then decreases to 238.5 mAh/g (x=5.0). As the discharge current density is 1,200 mA/g, the high rate dischargeability (HRD) increases from 51.1% (x=2.5) to 83.7% (x=3.5) and then decreases to 71.6% (x=5.0). Moreover, the exchange current density (I-0) of the alloy electrodes first increases and then decrease with increasing x from 2.5 to 5.0, which is consistent with the variation of the HRD. The cell volume reduces with increasing x in the alloys, which is detrimental to hydrogen diffusion and accordingly decreases the low-temperature dischargeability of the alloy electrodes.

Structures and electrochemical characteristics of several kinds of alloys

The structures and the electrochemical characteristics of La0.7-xCexMg0.3Ni2.8Co0.5 (x = 0.1-0.5) alloy, Ti0.25-xZrxV0.35Cr0.1Ni0.3 (x = 0.05-0.15) alloy and AB(3

Microstructures and properties of melt-spun and as-cast Mg-20Gd binary alloy

Mg-20Gd(%, mass fraction) samples were prepared using melt-spinning and copper mold casting techniques. Microstructures and properties of the Mg-20Gd were investigated. Results show that the melt-spun ribbon is mainly composed of supersaturated alpha-Mg solid solution phase and the as-east ingot mainly contains alpha-Mg solid solution and Mg5Gd phase. The differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) curve of the ribbon exhibits a small exothermic peak in the temperature range from 630 to 680 K, which indicates that the ribbon contains a metastable phase (amorphous). Tensile strength at room temperature of the melt-spun ribbon and as-cast specimen are 308 and 254 MPa, respectively. The elongations of the two samples are less than 2%. The fracture surfaces demonstrate that the fracture mode of the as-cast Mg-20Gd is a typical cleavage fracture and that of the melt-spun sample is a combination of brittle fracture and ductile fracture.

Preparation of W-Al alloys by mechanical alloying

W1-xAlx (x=0-0.86) alloys were synthesized by mechanically alloying the pure metal powder mixtures at designated compositions by conventional high-energy ball milling. The W-Al alloys were stable under high pressure and high temperature. The alloys were lighter than W. The hardness and oxidation resistance of the alloys was greatly improved compared to both W and Al. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Electrochemical characteristic of LaNi-based hydrogen storage alloys

Effect of purity of alloy components on the electrode performance of LaNi2 alloys was investigated. The results showed the purity of components had less effect on discharge capacity and self-discharge of LaNi2 alloys. Partial substitution of Al or Mn for Ni greatly improved discharge properties of LaNi2-xAlx, or LaNi2-yMny alloys as negative electrodes in MFl-Ni battery, 0.15less than or equal toxless than or equal to0.25; 0.15less than or equal toyless than or equal to0.25. In addition, surface treatment of LaNi1.8Al0.2 alloy electrode was performed by polymerizing cis-butenedioate with Co-60- gamma -ray radiation, which. had better affect on self-discharge and cycle life of the alloy electrodes at low temperature(-28 C-degrees).

Water soluble polyaniline and its blend films prepared by aqueous solution casting

Polyaniline (PAn) was doped with phosphonic acid containing hydrophilic tails. The solubility of the doped PAn in water was controlled by changing the length of hydrophilic chain in the dopant. When poly(ethylene glycol) monomethyl ether (PEGME) with molecular weight M-w = 550 was used as the hydrophilic chain of the dopant, the doped PAn was entirely soluble in water. The film cast from aqueous solution showed good electrochemical redox reversibility, Aqueous solution blending of PAn with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG, M-w = 20 000) and poly(N-vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP, M-w = 360 000) was achieved. Percolation threshold of the composite film was lower than 3 wt.%. Electrical conductivity of the composite film was in the range of 10(-1)-10(-5) S cm(-1), depending on molecular weight of the acid and the content of PAn in the composite. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Binary alloys of nylon 1010 and ethylene-propylene copolymer: Chemical, morphological, and mechanical analysis

The modification of ethylene-propylene copolymer (EPM) has been accomplished by melt grafting of maleic anhydride (MAH) molecules promoted by radical initiators. The resulting EPM-g-MAH and EPM have been used to obtain binary nylon 1010/EPM or nylon 1010/EPM-g-MAH blends by melt mixing. It was found that the EPM-g-MAH copolymer used as the second component has a profound effect upon the properties of the resulting blends. This behavior has been attributed to a series of chemical and physicochemical interactions taking place between the two components. The interactions are due to the presence of the anhydride functionality on the copolymer and do not occur when this functionality is absent. The interaction has been confirmed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic mechanical analysis, and scanning electron microscopic.