Investigation of the hydrogen storage mechanism of expanded graphite by measuring electrical resistance changes

The hydrogen storage mechanism of graphite was studied by measuring the electrical resistance change. Graphite was expanded and activated to allow for an easy hydrogen molecule approach and to enlarge the adsorption sites. A vanadium catalyst was simultaneously introduced on the graphite during the activation process. The hydrogen storage increased due to the effects of expansion, activation, and the catalyst. In addition, the electrical resistance of the prepared samples was measured during hydrogen molecule adsorption to investigate the hydrogen adsorption mechanism. It was found that the electrical resistance changed as a result of the easy hydrogen molecule approach, as well as of the adsorption process and the catalyst. It was also notable that the catalyst improved not only the hydrogen storage capacity but also the speed of hydrogen storage based on the response time. The hydrogen storage mechanism is suggested based on the effects of expansion, activation, and the catalyst.