HYDROGEN ABSORBING ALLOY

摘要

A hydrogen-absorbing alloy capable of controlling the very fine structure formed by a spinodal decomposition for improving flatness of an emission equilibrium pressure in a practical temperature/pressure range and excellent in activation and hydrogen absorption/desorption amounts, and a production method thereof. The hydrogen-absorbing alloy has a composition expressed by the general formula TixCryVz (where each of x, y and z represents an atomic percent and satisfies the relation x + y + z = 100), wherein the composition has a body-centered cubic structural phase as a principal phase, the principal phase exists within the range in which the body-centered cubic structure appears and a spinodal decomposition occurs with the exception of a C14 (a typical structure of the Laves phase; a MgZn2 type crystal structure) mono-phase range, and has a regular periodical structure formed by the spinodal decomposition, and its apparent lattice constant is at least 0.2950 nm but is not greater than 0.3060 nm. The production method of the hydrogen-absorbing alloy comprises conducting a solution heat-treatment at 700 to 1,500 DEG C for one minute to 100 hours, and a cooling treatment and/or an aging treatment at 350 to 1,200 DEG C for one minute to 200 hours.