The Japan Steel Works, Ltd.

Hideaki Itoh

Takashi Ebisawa

Hironobu Arashima

Toshiki Kabutomori

Kazuya Kubo

A melt of a hydrogen storage alloy having an arbitrary composition is cooled gradually at a cooling rate of 5&#xb0; C./min or less and solidified. Alternatively an alloy having an arbitrary composition, after heating to a temperature equal to or more than a melting point thereof, is cooled gradually at a cooling rate of 5&#xb0; C./min or less and solidified. Thereby a homogeneous alloy reduced in segregation, precipitates, or inclusions is obtained. The homogeneous alloy is excellent in the hydrogen storage amount, in the plateau property and in durability.

Method of producing hydrogen storage alloy

A hydrogen storage alloy of Ti Mn V Zr (one of two kinds or more of Fe, Co, Cu, Zn, Ca, Al, Mo and Ni) (herein, a is 10 to 40 atomic %, b is 40 to 60 atomic %, c is 5 to 30 atomic %, d is 15 atomic % or less, and x is 0 to 10 atomic %) is obtained by the rapid solidification (solidification at the cooling rate of desirably 10 &deg; C./sec or higher).

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Muroran, Japan

Hideaki Itoh