Process for making nanocrystalline metallic alloy powders by high energy mechanical alloying

Abstract

There are described metallic powders comprising agglomerated nanocrystals of an electroactive alloy. The main component of the alloy can be of nickel, cobalt, iron or mixtures thereof while the alloying element is one or more transition metals such as Mo, W, V. Preferably the nanocrystals will be made of an alloy of nickel and molybdenum. An electrode which is used by compacting the powders is also disclosed. Also disclosed, is a process for producing the metallic powders by providing particles of nickel, cobalt and iron with particles of at least one transition metal, (Mo, W, V) and subjecting the particles to high energy mechanical alloying such as ball milling under conditions and for a sufficient period of time to produce a nanocrystalline alloy. Electrodes produced from these powders have an electrocatalytic activity for the hydrogen evolution which is comparable or higher than the electrodes which are presently used in the electrochemical industry. Moreover, these materials present an excellent chemical, electrochemical and mechanical stability.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.