Ability of hydrogen storage CeNi5-xGax and Mg2Ni alloys to hydrogenate acetylene

Hydrogen storage properties and reactivity for hydrogenation of acetylene in a series of CeNi5-xGax (x = 0, 0.5, 0.75, 1, 1.25, 1.5) alloys and Mg2Ni were determined and compared. The structure of CeNi5 (CaCu5 type) was maintained up to CeNi3.5Ga1.5 when Ni was replaced by Ga. The replacement facilitated hydrogenation absorption by creating larger interstitial spaces through expansion of the lattice, allowing CeNi4.25Ga0.75 to absorb the greatest proportion of hydrogen atoms among the alloys under the same conditions. The results showed that the absorbed hydrogen in CeNi3.75Ga1.25 improved reactivity. In contrast, Mg2Ni formed a hydride upon hydrogenation of acetylene and thus possessed much lower activity. The difference of the activity of absorbed hydrogen between CeNi5-xGax and Mg2Ni was confirmed from transient response tests under reaction gases alternately containing He and H-2. [GRAPHICS] .