Abstract: Alloy powder for electrodes that includes particles of a hydrogen-absorbing alloy having an AB2 type crystal structure. The hydrogen-absorbing alloy includes first elements that are located in an A site in the crystal structure and include Zr, and second elements that are located in a B site and include Ni and. Mn. The hydrogen-absorbing alloy includes a plurality of alloy phases having different Zr concentrations. In each of the alloy phases, the percentage of Zr in the first elements exceeds 70 atom %.

Abstract: In a method for producing an alloy containing a metal of a low melting point, a low boiling point and a high vapor pressure such as Mg, Ca, Li, Zn, Mn, Sr or the like, a helium containing gas is used as an atmosphere gas for the melting. As a result, the alloy containing the above metal can be produced as an alloy having a targeted chemical composition precisely and safely at a low cost without causing the risk of firing, contamination or the like by active metal fine powder being vaporized. Furthermore, by using the helium containing gas as the atmosphere gas, the quench-solidification of the molten metal can be conducted due to a high thermal conductivity inherent to the helium gas, so that a special alloy can be produced even by the usual melting apparatus.

Abstract: A hydrogen-absorbing alloy capable of controlling the very fine structure formed by a spinodal decomposition for improving flatness of an emission equilibrium pressure in a practical temperature/pressure range and excellent in activation and hydrogen absorption/desorption amounts, and a production method thereof. The hydrogen-absorbing alloy has a composition expressed by the general formula Ti.sub.x Cr.sub.y V.sub.z (where each of x, y and z represents an atomic percent and satisfies the relation x+y+z=100), wherein the composition has a body-centered cubic structural phase as a principal phase, the principal phase exists within the range in which the body-centered cubic structure appears and a spinodal decomposition occurs with the exception of a C14 (a typical structure of the Laves phase; a MgZn.sub.2 type crystal structure) mono-phase range, and has a regular periodical structure formed by the spinodal decomposition, and its apparent lattice constant is at least 0.2950 nm but is not greater than 0.

Abstract: This invention relates to a hydrogen-absorbing alloy, and particularly provides a hydrogen-absorbing alloy having a body-centered cubic structure which has a periodical structure formed by spinodal decomposition, has a large hydrogen storage amount, has excellent hydrogen desorption characteristics and can mitigate activation conditions, the alloy comprises at least two elements of alloy components, wherein the relational curve between chemical free energy of solid solutions and an alloy composition has a shape describing an upwardly convexed curve, or said alloy comprises two solid solutions having a regular periodical structure formed by spinodal decomposition within a region satisfying the relation d.sup.2 G/dX.sub.B.sup.2 <0 (where G is chemical free energy and X.sub.B is a solute alloy concentration) as the principal phase.