Fabrication, hydrogen storage properties and mechanistic study of nanostructured Mg50Co50 body-centered cubic alloy

Mg50Co50 alloys were prepared by mechanical alloying. The formation of a body-centered cubic (bcc) structure was confirmed by X-ray and electron diffraction. This bcc alloy comprises nanometer-scale crystals, and absorbed H2 with a capacity of 2.67 mass% at 258 K. The mechanism of the fabrication and enhanced hydrogen storage properties of the Mg50Co50 bcc alloy were investigated and compared with common Mg-based alloys.