The research development of RE type and V-Ti based hydrogen storage alloys and Ni/MH batteries, applying predominant resources of RE, V and Ti in Sichuan province, made by the colleagues in the school of materials science and engineering of Sichuan University, were introduced. After years of work, the following achievements were obtained: 1) A series of Nd-free hydrogen storage alloys were developed, and Ni/MH batteries made from them show excellent comprehensive performance both under room and low temperatures. For example, these kinds of batteries applied in the electric bicycles discharge more than others under -30 ℃. 2) Low temperature hydrogen storage alloys and broad temperature range (–40 ℃~+55 ℃) Ni/MH batteries with excellent properties were successfully developed. It is of significance to national defense, frigidity areas and special industries.3) A series of V-Ti-Cr-Fe hydrogen storage alloys with eminent absorption and desorption properties were successfully developed, in which cheap intermediate alloy 80VFe was introduced. Thus the problem of the high cost brought by pure V was solved. This kind of materials is promising to be the hydrogen carrier in fuel cells on board. 4) It is demonstrated that temperatures and Pd affect greatly on the discharge capacities of V. It indicates that this kind of alloys is promising to become the negative materials of primary or secondary Ni/MH batteries with high energy density at or below 80 ℃. The above successful development of Nd free hydrogen storage alloys is important to solve partly the problem of the unbalance application of the rare earth resources, which exists there for a long time in China.
