Thermodynamic and structural properties of ball-milled mixtures composed of nano-structural graphite and alkali(-earth) metal hydride

Hydrogen desorption properties of mechanically milled materials composed of nano-structural hydrogenated-graphite (CnanoH x) and alkali(-earth) metal hydride (MH; M = Na, Mg and Ca) were investigated from the thermodynamic and structural points of view. The hydrogen desorption temperature for all the CnanoH x and MH composites was obviously lower than that of the corresponding each hydride. In addition, the desorption of hydrocarbons from CnanoH x was significantly suppressed by making composite of CnanoH x with MH, even though CnanoH x itself thermally desorbs a considerably large amount of hydrocarbons. These results indicate that an interaction exists between CnanoH x and MH, and hydrogen in both the phases is destabilized by a close contact between polar C-H groups in CnanoH x and the MH solid phase. Moreover, a new type of chemical bonding between the nano-structural carbon (Cnano) and the Li, Ca, or Mg metal atoms may be formed after hydrogen desorption. Thus, the above metal-C-H system would be recognized as a new family of H-storage materials