How carbon affects hydrogen desorption in NaAlH4 and Ti-doped NaAlH4

The hydrogen storage properties of doped and undoped NaAlH4 samples are studied after mixing them with different percentages of high surface carbon. Manually mixed samples are compared with ball milled ones; it was found that manual mixing was a simple and effective way to dope NaAlH4. A morphological and micro-structural analysis has been carried out in order to understand the effect of carbon. Carbon added samples show a marked enhancement of hydrogen desorption rate. The desorption temperature and the total hydrogen content remain almost unchanged for undoped sample. The desorption temperatures of Ti-doped samples increase with carbon content. (C) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.