Patent ID: 7988800

Claim:
A method of producing a Mg-REM-Ni based hydrogen-absorbing alloy, comprising a first step of melting a rare earth element starting material having a low evaporation pressure and a nickel starting material in a melting furnace to obtain a melt of REM-Ni alloy; a second step of adding magnesium starting material to the melt of REM-Ni alloy wherein the temperature of the melt of REM-Ni alloy at the addition of the magnesium starting material is 1250-1400° C., the magnesium starting material comprising elemental Mg or Mg 2 Ni, and keeping a pressure inside the melting furnace after the addition of the magnesium starting material at a pressure of 350-500 Torr to obtain a melt of Mg-REM-Ni alloy; and a third step of cooling and solidifying the melt of Mg-REM-Ni alloy at a given cooling rate.