Utilization of camphor as an alternative carbon source for the synthesis of carbon nanotubes using floating catalyst

Abstract

Due to its extraordinary physical, mechanical and electrical properties, carbon nanotubes (CNT) have continued to develop since it was discovered in 1998. Domestic demand itself has not been fulfilled because the production costs are fairly expensive. Conventional CNT exhibits many toxic effects on invertebrates and also cause genotoxicity in rats and in humans. Camphor-based CNT production is cheap and easy to use for chemical vapor deposition (CVD) because of its volatile and non-toxic properties. This research was conducted with the floating catalyst method using ferrocene (Fe) as a catalyst precursor and camphor as a carbon precursor by varying the number of camphor mass by 1, 3 and 5 grams. The CNT Synthesis was performed silica balls and quartz shatter as the substrates, argon as carrier gas with flow rate 100 mL/min, and hydrogen as co-reactant with flow rate 70 mL/min. The operating temperature of the synthesis used was 800°C with a reaction time of 60 minutes. The results showed that camphor decomposed into three compounds which are 40% benzene, 8% toluene, and 52% xylene. The synthesis process with quartz as the substrate produces more carbon deposits than silica balls due to its better heat transfer and the purer silicon dioxide (SiO2) contained in the quartz. CNT has grown to follow a tip growth model with deformations such as the buckling growth model and a continuous growth model was also found. The biggest yield (25 mg/cm2) is obtained at camphor mass of 5 gram with a carbon percentage of 87.1% and average diameter 33 - 44 nm.