Microfabricated hydrogen storage device and metal hydride fuel cell/battery

A process for producing a hydrogen-absorbing storage material, comprising:

• preparing a hydrogen-absorbing alloy particles with a diameter of approximately between 1 μm and 10 μm;
• adding group VIII transition metal particles having a diameter of approximately between 0.1 μm and 1.0 μm;
• mechanically alloying the hydrogen-absorbing alloy particles and the group VIII transition metal particles to form mechanically alloyed hydrogen-absorbing storage material particles;
• and
• adding to the mechanically alloyed hydrogen-absorbing storage material particles a binding agent which at least partially covers the mechanically alloyed hydrogen-absorbing storage material particles so as to effect firm binding between said mechanically alloyed hydrogen-absorbing storage material particles while allowing free passage of hydrogen in and out of the mechanically alloyed hydrogen-absorbing storage material particles, said binding agent being present in an amount less than 1 weight percent of said mechanically alloyed storage material particles.

A microfabricated fuel cell comprising:

• a substrate;
• a hydrogen-absorbing storage material disposed in or on said substrate, said hydrogen-absorbing storage material containing hydrogen-absorbing alloy particles and a group VIII transition metal, wherein the group VIII transition metal is mechanically alloyed with the hydrogen-absorbing alloy particles at a ratio of 0.25%-10 wt % transition metal to alloy particles;
• an anode current collector disposed on the hydrogen-absorbing storage material;
• an anode catalyst disposed on the anode current collector;
• a polymer electrolyte disposed on the anode catalyst;
• a cathode catalyst disposed on the polymer electrolyte;
• and
• a cathode current collector disposed on the cathode catalyst.