Pulsed Laser Activation Method for Hydrogen Storage Alloys

The activation procedures of metals and alloys for hydrogen absorption might be a considerable challenge for large-scale applications of metal hydrides. In this work, the Pulsed Laser Activation (PLA) method for hydrogen storage alloys is introduced for the first time. We show that the hydrogen storage ability of an aged (air-exposed for 30 days) Ti11V30Nb28Cr31 body-centered cubic alloy is restored by scanning the sample with a nanosecond pulsed laser for only three minutes. X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) analyses were performed to investigate structural features that changed in the Ti11V30Nb28Cr31 samples after ageing and after the PLA treatment. Surface remelting, oxide layers and crack formation seem to be factors that affect the hydrogen storage ability of the Ti11V30Nb28Cr31 alloy activated via PLA. Although the mechanisms involved in the PLA are not clear yet, this procedure opens a new path for the development of activation methods based on laser-metal interactions which can be easily applied in alloys and metals for hydrogen storage systems.