Effect of Ball Milling Time on Microstructure and Hydrogen Storage Properties of Nd5Mg41Ni Alloy

Mg-based alloys must be dehydrogenated at high pressure and temperatures, limiting their practical application. In this paper, Nd₅Mg₄₁Ni alloy was prepared by vacuum melting, and the as-cast alloy was ball milled for 5 h, 10 h, 15 h, and 20 h. The effect of ball milling time on the microstructure and hydrogen storage properties of the alloy was systematically studied. The alloy comprises Nd₅Mg₄₁, NdMg₁₂, NdMg_3, and Mg₂Ni phases. The Nd₅Mg₄₁Ni alloy milling for 10 h can reach 95% of the saturated hydrogen absorption at 553 K by 40 s, and the alloy can desorb hydrogen only by 20 min. The dehydrogenation activation energy is only 99.9 kJ/mol H₂. Ball milling makes the alloy produce many nanocrystalline and amorphous structures. The nano-grain boundary provides a channel for the diffusion of hydrogen atoms, and the high energy at the grain boundary provides energy for the phase deformation nucleus. Ball milling leads to the refinement of alloy particles and shortens the diffusion distance of hydrogen atoms to the interior of alloy particles. Defects such as twins and dislocations generated by milling provide energy for the phase deformation nucleus during the hydrogen absorption and desorption.