Method of regenerating disproportionated hydrides

An in-situ method of regenerating a disproportionated hydride, wherein said hydride comprises metals, metal alloys or intermetallic compounds, which is being used in a process application comprising

• (a) maintaining at least one more hydride bed than the number normally required for operations of said process, such that at least one disproportionated hydride bed is reproportionated in a regeneration zone while at least one of the remaining beds remains in use in said process;
• (b) removing substantially all hydrogen from said disproportionated hydride, maintaining said hydride in a substantially hydrogen-free environment at a regeneration temperature sufficient to effectuate desired restoration of the hydride's pressure-composition characteristics but below the approximate annealing temperature of the hydride, and thereafter exposing the hydride to hydrogen to promote absorption;
• and
• (c) periodically interchanging the roles of the beds such that at least one bed reproportionated in step (b) is introduced into the process and at least one disproportionated bed in process use undergoes reproportionation in the regeneration zone of step (b).