Optimization of synthesis condition for carbon nanotubes by chemical vapor deposition on Fe–Ni–Mo/MgO catalyst

Abstract

Catalyst and reaction conditions are the main affecting factors for the yield and quality of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) produced by the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. In this paper a ternary component catalyst based on Fe–Ni–Mo/MgO was explored using methane as precursor. The influences of temperature and methane concentration were investigated, and the as-produced CNTs were characterized by SEM, HRTEM, XRD and TGA. The diameter of the CNTs is in the range of 20–30 nm and the maximum carbon yield can reach up to 80 times of the catalyst under the selected condition. The purity of the as-prepared CNTs is over 93%. Our results indicated that this novel tercomponent catalyst presented a good catalytic activity for manufacturing high quality and quantity of CNTs.