Method for producing metal hydride

Abstract

A method for efficiently producing a high-purity metal hydride without contamination of other metals while initiating reaction rapidly is provided. A method for producing a metal hydride from a metal selected from the group consisting of Group 2 metals and Group 3 metals comprising: (A) charging the pressure resistant container with the metal, introducing hydrogen into the container, and heating the container to initiate reaction, wherein a gauge pressure (a) is set to 0.1 to 1.5 MPa, a heating temperature (b) is set to 50 to 250° C., and a product of the gauge pressure and the heating temperature, a×b, is set in the range of 20 to 100; (B) stopping the introduction of hydrogen to allow the reaction to proceed when the temperature in the reaction container is increased to a temperature higher by 10 to 100° C. than the heating temperature; (C) introducing hydrogen of 0.1 to 1.5 MPa to allow the reaction to proceed when the temperature in the reaction container is decreased to the temperature at which the introduction of the hydrogen has been stopped; and (D) repeating the steps (B) and (C) until an increase in temperature does not occur in the reaction container after the introduction of the hydrogen.