Research on the Reuse of Waste Mg-Gd-Y-Zn-Zr Alloy as a High-Performance Hydrogen Storage Material

Magnesium structural materials are widely used in aerospace, high-end equipment, and other fields. However, the substantial volume of processing scrap generated during manufacturing and machining, coupled with end-of-life components from Mg structural materials after service, leads to significant resource wastage and poses a considerable environmental burden. Conventional recycling via remelting is not only energy-intensive but also leads to unavoidable losses. In this work, the waste Mg-12Gd-4Y-1Zn-0.3Zr (GWZ1241K) alloy swarf was obtained through simple machining. After multiple hydrogen absorption-desorption cycles, the alloy swarf was pulverized and exhibited excellent hydrogen storage performance, achieving a maximum hydrogen storage capacity of 6.242 wt.% and a reversible cyclic hydrogen storage capacity of 4.6 wt.% at 300 °C. This research demonstrates a new and promising route for the value-added recycling of rare earth magnesium alloy waste, demonstrating significant potential for the upgraded application from structural waste to functional materials.

镁基结构材料广泛应用于航空航天、高端装备等领域。然而，其在制造与加工过程中产生的大量加工废料，加上服役期满后的镁基结构材料报废构件，造成了严重的资源浪费与沉重的环境负担。传统的重熔回收法不仅能耗极高，还会带来不可避免的成分损失。本研究通过简易加工获取了废弃Mg-12Gd-4Y-1Zn-0.3Zr（GWZ1241K）合金切屑。经过多次吸放氢循环后，该合金切屑被粉碎，展现出优异的储氢性能：在300℃条件下，最大储氢容量可达6.242 wt.%，可逆循环储氢容量达4.6 wt.%。本研究为稀土镁合金废料的高附加值回收利用提供了一条全新且极具前景的路径，展现了将结构类废料升级为功能材料应用的巨大潜力。