Neste trabalho foram estudadas ligas La0,7-xPrxMg0,3Al0,3Mn0,4Co0,5Ni3,8 (x= 0 a 0,7) no estado bruto de fusão, para utilização em eletrodos negativos de baterias de níquel-hidreto metálico (Ni-HM). A caracterização das ligas foi realizada através das seguintes técnicas: microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV), espectroscopia de energia dispersiva (EDS) e difração de raios X. Foi também determinada capacidade de absorção de hidrogênio destas ligas. A hidrogenação do material foi realizada em dois processos sendo: o primeiro denominado de baixa pressão (0,2 MPa de hidrogênio e temperatura de 500ºC) e o segundo de alta pressão (1 MPa e de hidrogênio e temperatura de 25ºC). Foi observado que com o aumento do teor de Pr a capacidade de absorção de hidrogênio diminui. Para o estudo da capacidade de descarga das baterias foi utilizado um analisador digital de quatro canais e observou-se um decréscimo na capacidade de descarga das baterias com adição de praseodímio para as composições La0,7-xPrxMg0,3Al0,3Mn0,4Co0,5Ni3,8 (x= 0 a 0,3). A maior capacidade de descarga (386 mAhg-1) e estabilidade cíclica foi obtida para a liga La0,2Pr0,5Mg0,3Al0,3Mn0,4Co0,5Ni3,8. Esta capacidade obtida pode estar relacionada com a maior proporção da fase LaMg2Ni9 encontrada na liga com adição de 0,5 % at. de Pr. / The La0,7-xPrxMg0,3Al0,3Mn0,4Co0,5Ni3,8 (x= 0 a 0.7) as-cast alloys to apply in negative electrodes for nickel-metal hydride batteries (Ni-MH). The characterizations of the alloys were realized by: scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS) and X-ray diffraction techniques. A study of hydrogen absorption capacity of the alloys realized. The hydrogenation of the material was performed in two processes: the low pressure (0.2 MPa of hydrogen and temperature of the 773 K) and high pressure (1 MPa of hydrogen and temperature of the 298 K). It was observed that with increasing Pr content occurred a decrease the hydrogen absorption capacity. The capacity of discharge of the batteries was determined utilizing an analyzer digital computerized composed of four channels. It was observed decreases of the discharge capacity of the batteries when increase praseodymium content in La0,7-xPrxMg0,3Al0,3Mn0,4Co0,5Ni3,8 (x= 0 a 0.3) alloys. The highest discharge capacity (386 mAhg-1) and stability cyclic were obtained to La0.2Pr0.5Mg0.3Al0.3Mn0.4Co0.5Ni3.8 alloy. This capacity can be related to the higher proportion of phase LaMg2Ni9 in the alloy with the addition of 0.5 at.% Pr.

Neste trabalho foram estudadas ligas La0,7-xPrxMg0,3Al0,3Mn0,4Co0,5Ni3,8 (x= 0 a 0,7) no estado bruto de fusão, para utilização em eletrodos negativos de baterias de níquel-hidreto metálico (Ni-HM). A caracterização das ligas foi realizada através das seguintes técnicas: microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV), espectroscopia de energia dispersiva (EDS) e difração de raios X. Foi também determinada capacidade de absorção de hidrogênio destas ligas. A hidrogenação do material foi realizada em dois processos sendo: o primeiro denominado de baixa pressão (0,2 MPa de hidrogênio e temperatura de 500ºC) e o segundo de alta pressão (1 MPa e de hidrogênio e temperatura de 25ºC). Foi observado que com o aumento do teor de Pr a capacidade de absorção de hidrogênio diminui. Para o estudo da capacidade de descarga das baterias foi utilizado um analisador digital de quatro canais e observou-se um decréscimo na capacidade de descarga das baterias com adição de praseodímio para as composições La0,7-xPrxMg0,3Al0,3Mn0,4Co0,5Ni3,8 (x= 0 a 0,3). A maior capacidade de descarga (386 mAhg-1) e estabilidade cíclica foi obtida para a liga La0,2Pr0,5Mg0,3Al0,3Mn0,4Co0,5Ni3,8. Esta capacidade obtida pode estar relacionada com a maior proporção da fase LaMg2Ni9 encontrada na liga com adição de 0,5 % at. de Pr. / The La0,7-xPrxMg0,3Al0,3Mn0,4Co0,5Ni3,8 (x= 0 a 0.7) as-cast alloys to apply in negative electrodes for nickel-metal hydride batteries (Ni-MH). The characterizations of the alloys were realized by: scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS) and X-ray diffraction techniques. A study of hydrogen absorption capacity of the alloys realized. The hydrogenation of the material was performed in two processes: the low pressure (0.2 MPa of hydrogen and temperature of the 773 K) and high pressure (1 MPa of hydrogen and temperature of the 298 K). It was observed that with increasing Pr content occurred a decrease the hydrogen absorption capacity. The capacity of discharge of the batteries was determined utilizing an analyzer digital computerized composed of four channels. It was observed decreases of the discharge capacity of the batteries when increase praseodymium content in La0,7-xPrxMg0,3Al0,3Mn0,4Co0,5Ni3,8 (x= 0 a 0.3) alloys. The highest discharge capacity (386 mAhg-1) and stability cyclic were obtained to La0.2Pr0.5Mg0.3Al0.3Mn0.4Co0.5Ni3.8 alloy. This capacity can be related to the higher proportion of phase LaMg2Ni9 in the alloy with the addition of 0.5 at.% Pr.

In this thesis, density functional theory (DFT) calculations and DFT based ab initio molecular dynamics simulations have been employed in order to gain insights into materials properties like diffusion, adsorption, catalysis, and structure. In transition metals, absorbed hydrogen atoms self-trap due to localization of metal d-electrons. The self-trapping state is shown to highly influence hydrogen diffusion in the classical over-barrier jump temperature region. Li diffusion in Li-N-H systems is investigated. The diffusion in Li3N is shown to be controlled by the concentration of vacancies. Exchanging one Li for H (Li2NH), gives a system where the diffusion no longer is dependent on the concentrations of vacancies, but instead on N-H rotations. Furthermore, exchanging another Li for H (LiNH2), results in a blockade of Li diffusion. For high-surface area hydrogen storage materials, metal organic frameworks and covalent organic frameworks, the hydrogen adsorption is studied. In metal organic frameworks, a Li-decoration is also suggested as a way to increase the hydrogen adsorption energy. In NaAlH4 doped with transition metals (TM), the hypothesis of TM-Al intermetallic alloys as the main catalytic species is supported. The source of the catalytic effect of carbon nanostructures on hydrogen desorption from NaAlH4 is shown to be the high electronegativity of the carbon nanostructures. A space-group optimized ab initio random structure search method is used to find a new ground state structure for BeC2 and MgC2. The fast change between the amorphous and the crystalline phase of GeSbTe phase-change materials is suggested to be due to the close resemblance between the local amorphous structure and the crystalline structure. Finally, we show that more than 80% of the voltage in the lead acid battery is due to relativistic effects. / Felaktigt tryckt som Digital Comprehensive Summaries of Uppsala Dissertations from the Faculty of Science and Technology 702

This thesis deals with first-principles calculations based on density functional theory to investigate hydrogen storage related properties in various high-surface area materials and the ground state crystal structures in alkaline earth dicarbide systems. High-surface area materials have been shown to be very promising for hydrogen storage applications owing to them containing numerous hydrogen adsorption sites and good kinetics for adsorption/desorption. However, one disadvantage of these materials is their very weak interaction with adsorbed hydrogen molecules. Hence, for any feasible applications, the hydrogen interaction energy of these materials must be enhanced.  In metal organic frameworks, approaches for improving the hydrogen interaction energy are opening the metal oxide cluster and decorating hydrogen attracting metals, e.g. Li, at the adsorption sites of the host.  In covalent organic framework-1, the effects of the H2-H2 interaction are also found to play a significant role for enhancing the hydrogen adsorption energy. Moreover, ab initio molecular dynamics simulations reveal that hydrogen molecules can be trapped in the host material due to the blockage from adjacent adsorbed hydrogen molecules. In light metal hydride systems, hydrogen ions play two different roles, namely they can behave as "promoter" and "inhibitor" of Li diffusion in lithium imide and lithium amide, respectively.  By studying thermodynamics of Li+ and proton diffusions in the mixture between lithium amide and lithium hydride, it was found that Li+ and proton diffusions inside lithium amide are more favorable than those between lithium amide and lithium hydride. Finally, our results show that the ground state configuration of BeC2 and MgC2 consists of five-membered carbon rings connected through a carbon atom forming an infinitely repeated chain surrounded by Be/Mg ions, whereas the stable crystal structure of the CaC2, SrC2 and BaC2 is the chain type structure, commonly found in the alkaline earth dicarbide systems. / Felaktigt tryckt som Digital Comprehensive Summaries of Uppsala Dissertations from the Faculty of Science and Technology 712