The bulk mechanical alloying (BMA) will be developed for the first time for synthesizing nanoscaled Li2NH hydride. An advanced thermomechanical testing equipment (Gleeble) will be used for the BMA process. Comprehensive processing data will be collected through the computerized data acquisitions system. These data will be available for further quantitative analysis and fundamental understanding of the BMA process. The key aspects of BMA processing of Li2NH will be modeled, namely, (1) the generation of dislocations and the dynamics for nanoscale hydride formation, and (2) the thermodynamics for Li2NH formation during BMA processing. The crystal structure and microstructure of resultant hydrides will be fully characterized. However, systematic testing of hydrogen absorption and desorption of the resultant hydrides will not be conducted due to funding constraints.
This project addresses a key hydrogen storage issue for the upcoming hydrogen economy. The huge potential payback justifies the significant impact of this proposal.
