Effect of ball milling on structural and hydrogen storage properties of Mg - x wt% FeTi (x=2 & 5) solid solutions

The effects of milling time on structural and hydrogen storage properties of Mg-xwt% FeTi (x = 2 & 5) solid solutions prepared by ball milling have been investigated. The solid solutions were analyzed by X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). It is shown that the application of mechanical (ball) milling is a simple technique to produce nanocrystalline powder. A clear reduction of crystallite size with an increase of microstrain is observed with increasing milling time. Hydrogen absorption isotherms have been measured at pressures up to 9 bar and in a temperature range 553 K to 583 K. After 5 h milling results show maximum hydrogen storage 5.32 wt% for Mg-2wt% FeTi while 5.21 wt% for Mg-5wt% FeTi solid solutions and also found that the hydrogen absorption pressure of the ball-milled sample is lower than that of the as-prepared (0 h milling) sample.

► We model the effect of milling on structural and hydrogen storage properties of Mg – x wt% FeTi (x = 2 & 5) solid solutions.
► A clear reduction of crystallite size with an increase of microstrain is observed with milling time.
► We found that the maximum hydrogen storage 5.32 and 5.21 wt% for 2 & 5 wt% catalyst FeTi in Mg respectively.