Carbon nanofibers grown on carbon fibers by chemical vapor deposition using the iron catalyst

Abstract

Carbon nanofibers (CNFs) were synthesized by the catalytic chemical vapour deposition (CCVD) process using iron catalyst below the iron-carbon eutetic temperature (1147 oC). CNFs were formed on carbon fibers as substrates at the growth temperatures of 750, 800, and 850 oC. The effect of processing temperature on the formation and the morphology of CNFs was studied. Moreover, the effect of composition of gase mixture (C2H4, H2, and Ar) on the morphology of CNFs was also performed. The morphology and microstructure of as-obtained CNFs were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and electron diffraction (ED). Results revealed that temperature and gas composition play an important role in forming of CNFs.