Patent ID: 8257464

Claim:
A process for preparing a pulverulent material suitable for storage of hydrogen, comprising: (A) preparation of a composite metallic material, by co-melting, then cooling, a plurality of metallic mixtures comprising: a first metallic mixture (m1), which is: an alloy (a1), having a body-centred cubic crystal structure, comprising titanium, vanadium, and another metal M selected from chromium, manganese, or mixtures of those metals; or a mixture of constituent metals of the alloy (a1), in proportions of that alloy, the constituent metals of the alloy (a1) being present in the mixture in a state of isolated metals and/or in a state of metal alloys; and a second mixture (m2), which is: an alloy (a2), comprising: from 38 to 42 mole % of a first metal M 1 selected from zirconium, niobium, molybdenum, hafnium, tantalum, tungsten, or mixtures of those metals; and from 56 to 60 mole % of a second metal M 2 , selected from nickel, copper, or mixtures of those metals; or a mixture of constituent metals of the alloy (a2), in proportions of that alloy, the constituent metals of the alloy (a2) being present in the mixture in the state of isolated metals and/or in the state of metal alloys; with a ratio by mass (m2)/(m1+m2) ranging from 0.1% to 20% by mass in the co-melting step, wherein the composite metallic material obtained at the end of step A comprises: a majority phase comprising titanium, vanadium and chromium and/or manganese, dispersed as grains, the majority phase having a body-centered cubic crystal structure, and at least one intergranular phase comprising at least one first metal selected from the group consisting of zirconium, niobium, molybdenum, hafnium, tantalum and tungsten, and at least one second metal selected from the group consisting of nickel and copper; and (B) a hydrogenation of the composite metallic material obtained, permitting the conversion of at least a part of the metals present into metal hydrides, wherein said hydrogenation causes fragmentation of the composite metallic material to a powder.