Synthesis Tuning for Manufacturing Carbon Hybrid Materials

Abstract

The overall hypothesis for this paper is that accurately tuning the gas phase pyrolysis synthesis process and using appropriate raw materials will enable manufacturing different types of carbon hybrid materials (CHM). Optimizing multiple variables including particle melting and vaporization temperatures, fuel flow rate, gas flow rates, gas velocity, and sock wind-up speed is needed to achieve reliability of the synthesis process. Results from our specific reactor are presented to show how the process variables interact and how they affect CNT sock yield and stability. Metal nanoparticle (NP) injection enables the formation of hybrid materials. Several types of CHM materials created by incorporating different types of NPs into the carbon nanotube (CNT) synthesis process and CNT sock are discussed. Many possible combinations of metal NPs can be used in the process to customize the properties of CHM. However, it is a complex problem to determine what metal compounds can chemically join with CNT. Some of the first results testing the new CHM process are presented in this paper.