# US 2014/0193719 A1 · Metal hydride alloy with enhanced surface morphology > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0193719 A1 - Document ID: US20140193719A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/735,372 - Filed: 2013-01-07 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-07 - Assignees: Ovonic Battery Company, Inc. - Applicants: Ovonic Battery Company, Inc. - Inventors: Kwo Young; Benjamin Reichman; Michael A. Fetcenko - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140193719A1 ## CPC - H01M 4/383: {Hydrogen absorbing alloys} - H01M 4/366: {as layered products} - H01M 4/8657: {layered} - H01M 4/9041: {Metals or alloys (H01M4/92 takes precedence)} - Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries - Y02E 60/50: Fuel cells - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract The performance of an ABx type metal hydride alloy is improved by adding an element to the alloy which element is operative to enhance the surface area morphology of the alloy. The alloy may include surface regions of differing morphologies. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A hydrogen storage alloy material having a bulk region and an interface region, said interface region having a plurality of catalytic channels defined therethrough, said channels having a cross-sectional dimension in the range of 25-150 angstroms and a length which is greater than said cross-sectional dimension, said channels including a plurality catalytic sites defined thereupon, said sites having a concentration of nickel which is greater than the concentration of nickel in the remainder of said alloy; wherein the volume fraction of said channels in said interface region is greater than 5%. ### Claim 2 A hydrogen storage material for an electrochemical cell, said material comprising a bulk metal and an interface oxide layer comprising at least two distinct regions, each distinct region of the interface layer having a morphology which differs from the morphology of at least one of another of said at least two regions. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The material of claim 2, wherein said morphologies are selected from the group consisting of: a structure without catalyst material, a structure with a catalyst material, a porous structure with a catalyst material, a porous structure comprising a plurality of interconnected channels not having a catalytic material disposed in said channels, and a porous structure comprising a plurality of interconnected channels having a catalytic material disposed in at least a portion of said channels. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The material of claim 2, wherein one of said regions is operative to enhance the low temperature performance of said material. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The material of claim 2, wherein the chemical composition of one of said at least two regions differs from the chemical composition of at least one of another of said at least two regions. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The material of claim 2, wherein the crystalline state of one of said at least two regions differs from the crystalline state of at least one of another of said at least two regions. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The material of claim 2, wherein the porous structure comprises a plurality of interconnected channels having a cross-sectional dimension in the range of 25-150 angstroms and a length which is greater than said cross-sectional dimension. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The material of claim 2, wherein the porous structure comprises a plurality of interconnected channels having a cross-sectional dimension in the range of 70-150 angstroms and a length which is greater than said cross-sectional dimension. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The material of claim 2, wherein the bulk region is comprised of an ABx (1≦x≦5) type metal hydride alloy material. ### Claim 10 (depends on 2) The material of claim 2, wherein the bulk region is comprised of at least two different phases, each being an ABx (1≦x≦5) type metal hydride alloy material. ### Claim 11 (depends on 2) The material of claim 2, wherein the interface layer is a surface oxide including an oxide formed of at least some of the constituent metals of the bulk alloy material and wherein catalytic metallic particles are distributed throughout the surface oxide. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The material of claim 11, wherein the catalytic metallic particles are Ni alloy particles formed of Ni and at least one other constituent metal of the bulk alloy material. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The material of claim 11, wherein the interface layer further includes pores of >20 angstroms in size and said catalytic particles are <100 angstroms in size. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The material of claim 13, wherein the pores comprise three-dimensional channels which are interconnected and extend into the interior of the interface layer and have at least some of said catalytic metallic particles distributed therethroughout. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The material of claim 13, wherein the >20 angstrom pores exist on less than all of the surface area of the interface layer. ### Claim 16 A storage material for a rechargeable battery, said material comprising a multi-element bulk metallic material with an interface oxide layer thereon; said bulk metallic material having more than one phase; said interface layer comprising at least two adjacent regions, each adjacent region of the interface layer having a morphology which differs from the morphology of at least one of another of said at least two regions and each of the differing regions associated with one of the phases of the bulk metallic material. ### Claim 17 An ABx (1≦x≦5) metal hydride alloy material, said material having a plurality of catalytic channels defined therethrough, said channels having a cross-sectional dimension in the range of 25-150 angstroms and a length which is greater than said cross-sectional dimension, said channels having catalytic sites defined thereupon, said sites having a concentration of nickel which is greater than the concentration of nickel in the remainder of said alloy. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The material of claim 17, wherein said material is a composite material comprising a first, matrix portion and a plurality of second, channels portions disposed in a spaced apart relationship in said matrix portion, said channels portions having a concentration of said catalytic channels defined therein, which concentration is greater than the concentration of said catalytic channels in said matrix portion. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The material of claim 18, wherein a composition of the first, matrix portion of said alloy differs from the concentration of said second, channel portions of said alloy. ### Claim 20 A method for making a composite ABx (1≦x≦5) type metal hydride alloy material, said material comprising a first, matrix portion and a plurality of second, channel portions disposed in a spaced apart relationship in said matrix portion, said channel portions having a concentration of catalytic channels defined therein, said channels having a cross-sectional dimension in the range of 25-150 angstroms, and a length which is greater than the cross-sectional dimension of said channels, said channels having catalytic sites defined thereupon, said method comprising the steps of: providing a first, ABx matrix material; providing a second, ABx metal hydride alloy material, said second material including an additive element selected from the group consisting of Si, Mo, Y, Sn, Sb, and combinations thereof, said element being operative to increase the surface area of said second material by a factor of more than 2 and/or the catalytic ability of said second material by more than 20%; activating said second material; and dispersing said second material in said first material so as to provide said composite material. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, wherein the step of dispersing said second material in said first material is carried out after the step of activating said second material. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, wherein said step of dispersing said second material is carried out before the step of activating said second material. ### Claim 23 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, wherein the first material has a melting point which is less than the melting point of said second material, and the step of dispersing said second material in said first material comprises dispersing particles of said first material in a molten body of said second material.