The nanostructure and hydrogenation reaction of Mg50Co50 BCC alloy prepared by ball-milling.

Mg50Co50 alloy before and after hydrogenation was investigated by means of transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Mg50Co50 alloy before hydrogenation was found to contain crystals not larger than 5 nm in size. Selected-area electron diffraction patterns (SAEDPs) revealed that these nanocrystals have a body-centered cubic (BCC) structure with a lattice parameter of about 0.3 nm. Distribution of Mg and Co elements in the Mg50Co50 alloy was uniform, indicated by energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis. Crystallization and decomposition occurred in the Mg50Co50 alloy during hydrogenation. A large number of crystals larger than 10 nm were observed in the hydrogenated sample. The SAEDPs showed polycrystalline rings corresponding to the BCC phase and the Co metal phase. The existence of Mg-rich Mg-Co crystals and Co particles was also confirmed by TEM-EDS analysis.