Hydrogen storage in magnesium-based hydrides and hydride composites

Mg and Mg-based hydrides have attracted much attention because of their high gravimetric hydrogen storage densities and favourable kinetic properties. Due to novel preparation methods and the development of suitable catalysts, hydrogen uptake and desorption is now possible within less than 2 min. However, the hydrogen reaction entlialpy of pure Mg is too high for many applications, for example, for the zero emission car. Therefore, different routes are explored to tailor the hydrogen reaction enthalpy to potential applications. This article summarizes the recent developments concerning sorption properties and thermodynamics of Mg-based hydrides for hydrogen storage applications. In particular, promising strategies to decrease the hydrogen reaction enthalpy by alloying and the use of reactive hydride composites are discussed. (c) 2007 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.