Solid State Hydrogen Storage

MBN has developed advanced magnesium-based alloys and composites for solid-state hydrogen storage, using its proprietary Mechanomade® process to overcome the challenges of handling highly reactive and ductile magnesium.

Through mechanical alloying, Mg alloys are synthesized directly in powder form with a refined nanostructure that accelerates hydrogen diffusion along grain boundaries. Nano-oxide catalysts are dispersed during milling, promoting the dissociation of H₂ into atomic hydrogen. This catalytic effect significantly enhances storage capacity, absorption/desorption kinetics, and reduces activation times.

PROPERTIES
GRAVIMETRIC CAPACITY [ 7.1 wt% H₂ | 2.4 kWh/kg ]
VOLUMETRIC CAPACITY [ 0.13 kg H₂/l | 4.4 kWh/l ]
OPERATING TEMPERATURE [ 320 °C ]
DESORPTION RATE [ > 1 g H₂/min ]

This platform enables safer, lighter, and more efficient hydrogen storage, supporting next-generation clean energy systems and accelerating the adoption of hydrogen as a sustainable energy carrier.

MBN produces advanced metal hydride powders for solid-state hydrogen storage, including alloys of the AB₅, AB₂, and AB families, such as LaNi₅, TiV₂, and FeTi. These materials are engineered using MBN’s proprietary Mechanomade® process, which enables the synthesis of complex multicomponent systems with controlled composition and nanostructure.

Thanks to the flexibility of this method, both the A-site and B-site elements in the alloy lattice can be tailored, allowing the creation of high-performance systems beyond conventional binary compositions. This opens pathways to optimize storage properties such as capacity, plateau pressure, and cycling stability.

The nanostructured morphology achieved through high-energy ball milling significantly enhances hydrogen diffusion through grain boundaries, improving absorption/desorption kinetics.

In parallel, the dispersion of catalytic nano-oxides during processing promotes the dissociation of molecular hydrogen (H₂) into atomic hydrogen (H), further boosting reaction efficiency and storage performance.

These hydride powders can be used for stationary hydrogen storage systems, or niche mobile applications, offering a safe, compact, and reversible solution to hydrogen energy challenges. MBN supports custom alloy development to meet specific application demands and integration requirements.