China’s first domestic production line for new-type rare earth hydrogen storage alloys has begun operations
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The production line for new rare-earth magnesium-nickel-based hydrogen storage alloy electrodes, developed by Baotou Zhongke Xuanda New Energy Technology Co., Ltd., which was incubated by the Baotou Rare Earth Research and Development Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has now begun to operate normally. It is understood that the production line has a capacity of 200 tons, and the 280-kilogram electrodes that are currently being produced have already been released onto the market. Rare earth magnesium-nickel-based hydrogen storage alloy electrode materials possess advantages such as high capacity and low self-discharge, and are considered as alternatives to traditional AB5-type rare earth-based hydrogen storage alloys. The nickel-metal hydride power batteries manufactured using this new electrode material exhibit excellent stability at low temperatures. Numerous experiments have shown that nickel-metal hydride power batteries made from this new material enable vehicles to maintain stable performance, allowing them to function properly even in the extremely cold conditions of the northern regions. Nickel-metal hydride power batteries are currently used in hybrid vehicles by leading global automakers such as Toyota. In supporting the development of the new energy vehicle industry, our country also focuses its support on nickel-metal hydride power batteries.
This product utilizes the alloy preparation technology with independent intellectual property rights developed by Yanshan University. By taking advantage of the relationship between the phase structure of rare earth magnesium nickel-based hydrogen storage alloys and their electrochemical hydrogen storage performance, the structural characteristics of these alloys are optimized, resulting in new rare earth magnesium nickel-based hydrogen storage alloys with various advantageous properties. This production line is China’s first new-type rare earth hydrogen storage alloy production line with independent intellectual property rights. Batteries using this material as electrodes have a capacity that is more than 30% higher than that of conventional nickel-metal hydride batteries and hydrogen storage alloys; it is therefore a key material for producing high-capacity, wide-temperature-range nickel-metal hydride power batteries with advanced manufacturing processes and low power consumption. Nickel-metal hydride batteries made using new rare-earth magnesium-nickel-based hydrogen storage alloy electrodes are more environmentally friendly than nickel-cadmium batteries and safer than lithium batteries; they can be widely used in hybrid power systems for vehicles, as well as in solid-state hydrogen storage and hydrogen fuel cells.