The feasibility of using the controlled hydriding combustion synthesis (CHCS) under a high magnetic field to prepare the Mg-La-Ni ternary hydrogen storage alloys was studied. Comparison was made between the conventional hydriding combustion synthesis (HCS) and the CHCS. The influence of a high magnetic field on the physicochemical properties (thermodynamic and kinetic characteristics, hydrogen absorption/desorption (A/D) properties, thermal behavior, phase composition and morphology) of the Mg-La-Ni composite was analyzed and the results suggested that a high magnetic field can change the microstructure and phase compositions, decrease the hydriding/dehydriding (H/D) temperature and the particle size of the composite, and increase the HID rates. Based on this study, the lower-temperature metal hydrides prepared by CHCS seem to be technically feasible for lab-scale and it could represent a possible and attractive alternative to prepare the hydrogen storage materials. (c) 2006 International Association for Hydrogen Energy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.