Structural Phase State and Morphology of Composites Based on Magnesium Hydride and Nanoscale Nickel Powder Obtained by the Electrical Wire Explosion Method

Hydrogen storage in metal hydrides is one of the most promising methods at present. Magnesium and its hydride, possessing high hydrogen capacity with high prevalence in the Earth’s crust, are considered the most suitable materials for hydrogen storage However, the disadvantage of magnesium hydride is its high operating temperature and slow sorption and desorption reactions. Thus, high energy must be applied to extract hydrogen from magnesium hydride. The temperature and energy of hydrogen desorption can be reduced by using catalytic additives. In this work, a nanosized nickel powder, first obtained by the method of electrical explosion of wires, was used as a catalytic additive. A composite based on magnesium hydride and nanoscale nickel powder synthesized in a planetary ball mill was considered the material under study. The amount of the added nanoscale nickel powder was 1–15 wt %. The synthesis of composites was carried out at a drum rotation frequency of 900 rpm and a duration of 120 min. The regularities of influence of synthesis parameters and composition of composites on their morphology and structural phase state were established.