Utilization of waste engine oil for carbon nanotube aerogel production using floating catalyst chemical vapor deposition

Abstract

The floating catalyst chemical vapor deposition (FCCVD) approach has been successfully employed in offering a continuous single-step process to the synthesis of carbon nanotubes aerogel (CNT aerogel) in terms of the industrial scale. Industrial applications require selecting a carbon source that is abundant, cost-effective and environment-friendly. Thus, waste engine oil (WEO) is preferably employed as a carbon source involving the production of CNT aerogel. In this research study, the catalytic decomposition of the WEO was employed to synthesize CNT aerogel. First, fractional distillation of WEO was achieved resulted in five (5) fractions. As per analysis is performed via GC-MS, low molecular weight hydrocarbons could be efficiently separated, which is required for catalyst dissolving. As per CNS analysis, each fraction was found to contain >69% carbon, <0.1% sulfur and <0.3% nitrogen. The FCCVD method was employed to synthesize CNT aerogel via a WEO fraction 1 mixed along with ferrocene catalyst at a temperature of 1150 °C. It was found that the product’s MWCNTs were associated with 86.74% purity and 496% carbon deposition yield. The aerogel was found to possess a mesopore distribution of 142.9 m2 g−1 as its specific surface area, 39.079 nm as average pore diameter and 1.3964 cm3 g−1 as total pore volume. The CNTs tend to assemble randomly as well as get entangled to form a 3-D structure.