It has been well known that doping nano-scale catalysts can significantly improve both the kinetics and reversible hydrogen storage capacity of MgH2. However, so far it is still a challenge to directly synthesize ultrafine (e.g., < 5 nm), mainly because complicated chemical reaction processes. Here, facile one-step high-energy ball milling process developed in situ form Ni nanoparticles from ni...

Mg₂Ni-type Mg₂Ni1-xCox (x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4) alloys were fabricated by melt spinning technique. The structures of the as-spun alloys were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The hydrogen absorption and desorption kinetics of the alloys were measured by an automatically controlled Sieverts apparatus. The electrochemical hydrogen storage kine...

Hydrogen switchable mirrors (HSMs) are shiny metals that become optically transparent upon exposure to hydrogen. The Casimir force between HSMs is thus supposed to be stronger in air than in hydrogen. A few years ago, an experiment designed to measure this effect gave an unexpected result (Iannuzzi, Lisanti and Capasso 2004 Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 101 4019–23): no change of the force was obse...

In order to find out the optimal composition of novel Nd-Mg-Ni alloys for hydrogen storage, the isothermal section of Nd-Mg-Ni system at 400 °C is established by examining the equilibrated alloys. A new ternary compound Nd4Mg80Ni8 is discovered in the Mg-rich corner. It has the crystal structure of space group I41/amd with lattice parameters of a = b = 11.2743(1) Å and c = 15.9170(2) Å, charact...

Amorphous magnetic Ni-Co-B nanoparticles with an average size of 5 nm were added to precursor powders of MgB2 superconductor. The preparation procedure for MgB2 pellets was optimized for obtaining the best critical current density ( Jc) at elevated magnetic fields. Addition of Ni-Co-B decreases the Jc for heat treatment of precursor powders at 650 ° C. Heat treatments at 770 ° C and higher impr...