Carbon Nanotubes Grown Using Solid Polymer Chemical Vapor Deposition in a Fluidized Bed Reactor with Iron(III) Nitrate, Iron(III) Chloride and Nickel(II) Chloride Catalysts

Chuhsuan Wang,Yeewen Yen,Teodoro Amatosa,Yizhen Guo,Jingshiun Chang,Fujen Lin

doi:10.3390/inventions3010018

Chuhsuan Wang, Yeewen Yen + Show 4 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/inventions3010018

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Abstract

In this study, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MW-CNT) were successfully synthesized using a chemical vapor deposition-fluidized bed (CVD-FB), with 10% hydrogen and 90% argon by volume, and a reaction temperature between 750 and 850 °C in a specially designed three-stage reactor. A solid state of polyethylene (PE) was used as a carbon source and iron(III) nitrate, iron(III) chloride, and nickel(II) chloride were used as catalysts. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectrum analysis were used to analyze and examine the morphology and characteristics of the CNTs. A thermogravimetric analyzer was used to determine the purification temperature for the CNTs. Experimental results showed that the synthesis with iron-based catalysts produced more carbon filaments. Nickel(II) chloride catalysis resulted in the synthesis of symmetrical MW-CNTs with diameters between 30 and 40 nanometers. This catalyst produced the best graphitization level (ID/IG) with a value of 0.89. Excessively large particle size catalysts do not cluster carbon effectively enough to grow CNTs and this is the main reason for the appearance of carbon filaments.

Highlights

Carbon nanotubes (CNT) were discovered accidentally when Iijima (Japan) was using Direct-current (DC)-arc discharge to study Fullerene C60, and his paper in Nature in 1991 drew world-wide attention [1]
CNTs have widely been applied in nano machinery components, storage of hydrogen materials, and field emission display components
We explored how thehow use the of different catalysts affects affects carbon nano-tube production and investigated multi-step process purification forCNTs the carbon nano-tube production and investigated a multi-stepapurification for theprocess prepared prepared

Summary

Introduction

Carbon nanotubes (CNT) were discovered accidentally when Iijima (Japan) was using Direct-current (DC)-arc discharge to study Fullerene C60 , and his paper in Nature in 1991 drew world-wide attention [1]. CNTs are hollow tubes with walls formed of the graphite layers with sp bonding. CNTs have a mesh-like conjugated π bond, π electron cloud, and hollow tube. These characteristics confer mechanical, electrical, optical, and chemical properties to the nanotubes, which include high strength, a large surface area, and high heat and electrical conductivity. CNTs have widely been applied in nano machinery components, storage of hydrogen materials, and field emission display components. Many industries have taken advantage of these nanotubes as an important material that has overcome the material size barrier between the micro and nano levels

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