Mechanism of activation of TiFe intermetallics for hydrogen storage by severe plastic deformation using high-pressure torsion

TiFe, a potential candidate for solid-state hydrogen storage, does not absorb hydrogen without a sophisticated activation process because of severe oxidation. This study shows that nanostructured TiFe becomes active by high-pressure torsion (HPT) and is not deactivated even after storage for several hundred days in the air. Surface segregation and formation of Fe-rich islands and cracks occur after HPT. The Fe-rich islands are suggested to act as catalysts for hydrogen dissociation and cracks and nanograin boundaries act as pathways to transport hydrogen through the oxide layer. Rapid atomic diffusion by HPT is responsible for enhanced surface segregation and hydrogen transportation. (C) 2013 AIP Publishing LLC.