Magnesium-based solid-state storage is not right for everyone, and the deciding factor is almost always temperature. These two tools let you answer that yourself in about a minute — including the cases where the answer is no.
This chart is material mass, not system mass. A magnesium system also needs a reactor, heat-transfer structure and insulation rated for 300–400 °C, plus a heat source. An AB5 system runs near ambient, so its balance-of-plant is simpler and lighter. At system level our advantage over AB5 narrows; against compressed gas it stays large, and it is largest where the heat is already there as waste. We publish it this way because you will find this out in week three of your own study, and we would rather you hear it from us in minute one.
Both are validated in peer-reviewed Q1 journals. The difference is not mechanical strength — the alloy is milled to powder, so bulk mechanical properties do not carry over to a hydride bed. The difference that matters is capacity and speed against precious-metal loading and onset temperature.
| Property | AZ31 + 5 wt% Pd/MWCNT | AZ61 + 3 wt% Pd/MWCNT |
|---|---|---|
| Peer-reviewed source | Journal of Energy Storage 179 (2026) 123907 · IF 10.7 | Fuel 425 (2026) 139436 · IF 7.8 |
| Hydrogen capacity | 6.89 wt% capacity — 99% of the corrected theoretical value | 6.15 wt% reversible capacity |
| Catalyst loading | 5 wt% | 3 wt% — less palladium per tonne |
| Kinetics at 375 °C | 446 s absorption · 735 s desorption | 90% saturation in 976 s (+58% vs pure AZ61) |
| Desorption activation energy | 132.7 → 98.5 kJ/mol (−26%) | 142.6 → 98.4 kJ/mol (−31%) |
| Desorption onset | — | ↓ to ~285 °C (40 °C below pure AZ61) |
| Cycling | Stable over 20 cycles | Stable over 20 cycles |
| Choose it when… | Capacity per kilogram and cycle speed decide the system | Precious-metal cost or a lower temperature floor decides the system |
We are asked for a full technical dossier, and there is an honest limit on part of it.
Palladium and platinum move daily on the international market. We split the quotation so you can see exactly what you are paying for.
| Metal fair value | Priced from the international spot market on the day of order, converted at the actual metal content — 5 wt% palladium in the Pd/MWCNT composite. |
| Nano-processing and technical fee | A fixed figure, quoted separately. This is the part that is actually ours. |
| Why we split it | So you can see whether a price move is the metal market or us, and so neither side carries the other's metal-price risk. Quotations are confirmed at the time of order. |
Efficient desorption runs at roughly 325–375 °C. The AZ61 system's desorption onset falls to about 285 °C, which is the practical floor. Below about 285 °C the material will not release hydrogen usefully, which rules out ambient and portable duty.
About 14.5 kg of AZ31 with 5 wt% Pd/MWCNT (6.89 wt% capacity), or about 16.3 kg of AZ61 with 3 wt% (6.15 wt% reversible capacity). For comparison, AB5 rare-earth hydrides at a typical 1.4–1.8 wt% need roughly 56–71 kg. These are active material masses and exclude the reactor, heat-transfer structure and insulation.
AZ31 with 5 wt% catalyst gives the higher capacity (6.89 wt%) and faster kinetics (446 s absorption, 735 s desorption at 375 °C). AZ61 needs only 3 wt% catalyst, so less palladium per tonne, and its desorption onset is lower at about 285 °C. Choose AZ31 for capacity and speed, AZ61 for lower precious-metal cost and a lower temperature floor.
No. The PCT isotherms, DFT plots and cycling curves in the Fuel and Journal of Energy Storage papers are Elsevier's copyright and we will not redistribute them. We will give you the DOI and figure numbers, and a written summary of what each figure shows.
In two parts: the fair value of the contained precious metal, priced from the international spot market on the day of order, plus a fixed nano-processing and technical fee. Splitting them means you can see what is metal market movement and what is us, and quotations are confirmed at the time of order.