Quality Of Carbon Nanotubes Research Articles

The Effect of Mass Ratio of Ferrocene to Camphor as Carbon Source and Reaction Time on the Growth of Carbon Nanotubes

This research aims to identify the best reaction time and mass ratio of camphor to ferrocene as carbon source in the growth of carbon nanotube (CNT). Ferrocene is used as carbon source and catalyst with stainless steel (SS)-316 type gauze as substrate.Camphor as alternative carbon source is intended to improve the CNT synthesis results. This research has shown that benzene, toluene, and xylene dominate camphor decomposition, so the addition will produce good quality CNT and increase the yield. The variation of mass ratio of camphor to ferrocene was 3:1, 2:1, 1:2, 1:3 and the variation of reaction time was 10,20,30,40, and 60 min. The synthesis results of the CNT were characterized using FESEM-EDS while the ferrocene and camphor decomposition gas was analyzed by GC-FID. The best quality of CNT was obtained at 1:2 mass ratio with yield 37%, carbon percentage of 76.98% and diameter of 77-151 nm. Increasing the reaction time from 10 to 20 minutes will increase the yield and quality of CNTs. The yield and quality of the CNT decreased after a reaction time of 30 minutes due to the deactivation of the catalyst and the closure of the active sites by nucleation and carbon growth.

Thermal Chemical Conversion of High-Density Polyethylene for the Production of Valuable Carbon Nanotubes Using Ni/AAO Membrane Catalyst

Thermal chemical conversion of waste plastics for syngas production is a promising alternative method for the management of waste plastics. However, one of the challenges of facilitating the deployment of this technology is the low economic benefit of waste-plastic recycling. By producing a high-value carbon nanotubes (CNTs) byproduct, an interesting alternative solution is provided. To further enhance the quality of CNTs produced from catalytic thermal chemical conversion of waste plastics, a template-based catalyst (Ni/anodic aluminum oxide, AAO) is proposed in this work. In addition, reaction temperature, Ni content and water injection were studied for their influences on the formation of CNTs on Ni/AAO using a two-stage fixed bed reactor. Various analytical methods, e.g., scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), were used to evaluate the performance of catalyst in relation to the production of CNTs. The results show that a higher loading of Ni on AAO resulted in the formation ...

Height and diameter dependence of carbon nanotube forests on the porosity and thickness of catalytic layers

Abstract Syntheses of highly ordered carbon nanotube (CNT) forests were studied from the aspect of the quality of CNTs and the properties of Fe-Co catalyst. CNT forests were grown by catalytic chemical vapor deposition. The amount of catalyst was varied in two ways: (1) catalyst layers with different nanostructure were produced with pulsed laser deposition by applying different argon pressures in the deposition chamber, and (2) compact catalyst layers were deposited with different thickness in 1–5 nm range. Our results show that both the nanostructure of the catalyst layer and the layer thickness have a significant role in the formation of catalytic particles, therefore also on the character of CNT growth.

Fabrication of piezoresistive based pressure sensor via purified and functionalized CNTs/PDMS nanocomposite: Toward development of haptic sensors

In this work, we reported a chemically modified technique via screen printing method to fabricate carbon nanotubes (CNTs)/Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) nanocomposite to monitor the piezoresistive behavior of nanocomposite while applying pressure. Raman, UV/vis and HRTEM results were utilized to verify the quality of CNTs, purified through chemical and physical treatments; carboxylic and hydroxylic functional groups were determined via FTIR. The optimum dispersion ratio of the nanocomposite was observed by FESEM images which clearly show the consistent dispersion of CNTs coated by PDMS. Furthermore, I–V characterization of the developed nanocomposite indicates change in resistivity for a few orders of magnitude before and after treatment in addition to resistance variation as a result of different applied pressures. These results indicate the importance of CNTs treatment prior to nanocomposite fabrication in order to obtain lower percolation threshold. Obtained results are useful in development of haptic sensor, artificial finger, and brain like devices for robotics applications.

Effect of carbon nanotube concentration on cooling behaviors of oil-based nanofluids during the immersion quenching

Oil-based nanofluids including 0.75%—1.75% (mass fraction) carbon nanotubes (CNTs) without any surfactants have been synthesized by a two-step process. The probes machined from 45# steel with 22mm diameter and 50mm length are quenched in the as-synthesized CNT nanofluids for testing the cooling behaviors of the nanofluids. The laser diffraction particle size analyzer, scanning electronic microscope (SEM), X-ray diffractometer and transmission electron microscope (TEM) are used to characterize the quality and distribution of CNTs in the nanofluids. The wettability and viscosity of 30# oil and oil-based CNT nanofluids are measured by a goniometer at 15 ◦C and a rotational type viscometer at 40 ◦C, respectively. The results show that the cooling efficiency of the oil-based CNT nanofluids is better than that of 30# oil. Moreover, the cooling rate of the naonofluids increases with the further increase of the CNT concentration. When the mass fraction of CNTs increases to 1.75%, the cooling rate of the naonofluids reaches a maximum at 760 ◦C and it is increased by 77.8% as compared to that of base oil. The improved cooling rate of oil by CNTs is mainly due to the uniform distribution and excellent thermal conductivity of CNTs.

Co-production of hydrogen and carbon nanotubes from catalytic pyrolysis of waste plastics on Ni-Fe bimetallic catalyst

To explore the mechanism of the influence of Ni-Fe bimetallic catalyst for the producing high-value carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with clean hydrogen from waste plastic pyrolysis, the pyrolysis-catalysis of plastics were performed using a two stage fixed bed reaction system with Ni and Fe loading at variant molar ratios. The catalysts and produced carbon were analysed with various characterization method, including temperature-programed reduction/oxidation, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy or/and Raman spectroscopy. Both the H2 concentration and H2 yield reached maximum values of 73.93vol.% and 84.72mgg−1 plastic, respectively, as the ratio of Ni:Fe at 1:3. The amount and quality of CNTs were greatly influenced by the catalyst composition, and Ni and Fe display different roles to the overall reactivity of Ni-Fe catalyst for the pyrolysis-catalysis of waste plastics. Catalyst with more Fe loading produced more hydrogen and deposited carbon, due to higher cracking ability and the relatively lower interaction between active sites and support. The presence of Ni in Ni-Fe bimetallic catalyst enhanced the thermal stability and graphitization degree of produced carbons. The thermal quality of filamentous carbons might be associated with carbon defects.

Development of Ni- and Fe- based catalysts with different metal particle sizes for the production of carbon nanotubes and hydrogen from thermo-chemical conversion of waste plastics

Co-production of valuable hydrogen and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) has obtained growing interest for the management of waste plastics through thermo-chemical conversion technology. Catalyst development is one of the key factors for this process to improve hydrogen production and the quality of CNTs. In this work, Ni/SiO2 and Fe/SiO2 catalysts with different metal particle sizes were investigated in relation to their performance on the production of hydrogen and CNTs from catalytic gasification of waste polypropylene, using a two-stage fixed-bed reaction system. The influences of the type of metals and the crystal size of metal particles on product yields and the production of CNTs in terms of morphology have been studied using a range of techniques; gas chromatography (GC); X-ray diffraction (XRD); temperature programme oxidation (TPO); scanning electron microscopy (SEM); transmission electron microscopy (TEM) etc. The results show that the Fe-based catalysts, in particular with large particle size (∼80nm), produced the highest yield of hydrogen (∼25.60mmol H2g−1 plastic) and the highest yield of carbons (29wt.%), as well as the largest fraction of graphite carbons (as obtained from TPO analysis of the reacted catalyst). Both Fe- and Ni-based catalysts with larger metal particles produced higher yield of hydrogen compared with the catalysts with smaller metal particles, respectively. Furthermore, the CNTs formed using the Ni/SiO2-S catalyst (with the smallest metal particles around 8nm) produced large amount of amorphous carbons, which are undesirable for the process of CNTs production.

FIB Secondary Etching Method for Fabrication of Fine CNT Forest Metamaterials

Anisotropic materials, like carbon nanotubes (CNTs), are the perfect substitutes to overcome the limitations of conventional metamaterials; however, the successful fabrication of CNT forest metamaterial structures is still very challenging. In this study, a new method utilizing a focused ion beam (FIB) with additional secondary etching is presented, which can obtain uniform and fine patterning of CNT forest nanostructures for metamaterials and ranging in sizes from hundreds of nanometers to several micrometers. The influence of the FIB processing parameters on the morphology of the catalyst surface and the growth of the CNT forest was investigated, including the removal of redeposited material, decreasing the average surface roughness (from 0.45 to 0.15 nm), and a decrease in the thickness of the Fe catalyst. The results showed that the combination of FIB patterning and secondary etching enabled the growth of highly aligned, high-density CNT forest metamaterials. The improvement in the quality of single-walled CNTs (SWNTs), defined by the very high G/D peak ratio intensity of 10.47, demonstrated successful fine patterning of CNT forest for the first time. With a FIB patterning depth of 10 nm and a secondary etching of 0.5 nm, a minimum size of 150 nm of CNT forest metamaterials was achieved. The development of the FIB secondary etching method enabled for the first time, the fabrication of SWNT forest metamaterials for the optical and infrared regime, for future applications, e.g., in superlenses, antennas, or thermal metamaterials.

Comparative Study with a Unique Arrangement to Tap Piezoelectric Output to Realize a Self Poled PVDF Based Nanocomposite for Energy Harvesting Applications

AbstractIn this research paper we present a comparative study on the enhanced piezoelectric performance between Carbon Nanotubes (CNT)/PVDF nanocomposite as well as Iron‐Reduced Graphene Oxide (Fe‐RGO)/PVDF nanocomposite. The enhanced performance is realized by a unique device structure, in which the bottom electrode is physically not in contact with the piezoelectric film until external excitation is applied. FTIR characterization shows the enhancement of polar crystallization phases due to electrostatic interactions in PVDF by the addition of CNT and Fe‐RGO. Raman Spectroscopy indicates the formation of good quality Fe‐RGO nanosheets and also shows high crystalline quality of CNTs. Raman Spectroscopy identifies the interaction between CNTs and Fe‐RGO nanosheets with the polymer that supports the piezoelectric current generation mechanism. Conductivity measurements show that addition of CNT and Fe‐RGO in PVDF increases the conductivity of the nanocomposite films. The CNT/PVDF and Fe‐RGO/PVDF piezoelectric energy harvesting device produced an open circuit output voltage of 2.5 V and 1.2 V respectively. A short circuit rectified current of nearly 700 nA and 300 nA was detected by the CNT/PVDF and Fe‐RGO/PVDF based piezoelectric energy harvesting device.

Lower limits of detection in using carbon nanotubes as thermoluminescent dosimeters of beta radiation

World-wide, on-going intensive research is being seen in adaptation of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) for a wide variety of applications, particular interest herein being in the thermoluminescent (TL) properties of CNTs and their sensitivity towards energetic radiations. Using beta radiation delivering dose levels of a few Gy it has been observed in previous study that strain and impurity defects in CNTs give rise to significant TL yields, providing an initial measure of the extent to which electron trapping centres exist in various qualities of CNT, from super-pure to raw. This in turn points to the possibility that there may be considerable advantage in using such media for radiation dosimetry applications, including for in vivo dosimetry. CNTs also have an effective atomic number similar to that of adipose tissue, making them suitable for soft tissue dosimetry. In present investigations various single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) samples in the form of buckypaper have been irradiated to doses in the range 35–1.3Gy, use being made of a 90Sr beta source, the response of the CNTs buckypaper with dose showing a trend towards linearity. It is shown for present production methodology for buckypaper samples that the raw SWCNT buckypaper offer the greatest sensitivity, detecting doses down to some few tens of mGy.

Real-Time Imaging of Self-Organization and Mechanical Competition in Carbon Nanotube Forest Growth.

The properties of carbon nanotube (CNT) networks and analogous materials comprising filamentary nanostructures are governed by the intrinsic filament properties and their hierarchical organization and interconnection. As a result, direct knowledge of the collective dynamics of CNT synthesis and self-organization is essential to engineering improved CNT materials for applications such as membranes and thermal interfaces. Here, we use real-time environmental transmission electron microscopy (E-TEM) to observe nucleation and self-organization of CNTs into vertically aligned forests. Upon introduction of the carbon source, we observe a large scatter in the onset of nucleation of individual CNTs and the ensuing growth rates. Experiments performed at different temperatures and catalyst particle densities show the critical role of CNT density on the dynamics of self-organization; low-density CNT nucleation results in the CNTs becoming pinned to the substrate and forming random networks, whereas higher density CNT nucleation results in self-organization of the CNTs into bundles that are oriented perpendicular to the substrate. We also find that mechanical coupling between growing CNTs alters their growth trajectory and shape, causing significant deformations, buckling, and defects in the CNT walls. Therefore, it appears that CNT-CNT coupling not only is critical for self-organization but also directly influences CNT quality and likely the resulting properties of the forest. Our findings show that control of the time-distributed kinetics of CNT nucleation and bundle formation are critical to manufacturing well-organized CNT assemblies and that E-TEM can be a powerful tool to investigate the mesoscale dynamics of CNT networks.

Simulation and Analysis of Strain Sensitivity of CNT-Based Strain Sensors

Carbon nanotubes (CNT) is turning out to be a replacement to all the existing traditional sensors due to their high gauge factor, multidirectional sensing capability, high flexibility, low mass density, high dynamic range and high sensitivity to strains at nano and macro- scales. The strain sensitivity of CNT-based strain sensors depends on number of parameters; quality and quantity of CNT used, type of polymer used, deposition and dispersion technique adopted and also on environmental conditions. Due to all these parameters, the piezoresistive behavior of CNT is diversified and it needs to be explored. This paper theoretically analyses the strain sensitivity of CNT-based strain sensors. The strain sensitivity response of CNT strain sensor is a result of change in total resistance of CNT network with respect to applied strain. The total resistance of CNT network consists of intrinsic resistance and inter-tube resistance. It has been found that the change in intrinsic resistance under strain is due to the variation of bandgap of individual, which depends on the chirality of the tube and it varies exponentially with strain. The inter-tube resistance of CNT network changes nonlinearly due to change in distance between neighboring CNTs with respect to applied strain. As the distance [Formula: see text] between CNTs increases due to applied strain, tunneling resistance [Formula: see text] increases nonlinearly in exponential manner. When the concentration of CNTs in composite is close to percolation threshold, then the change of inter-tube resistances is more dominant than intrinsic resistance. At percolation threshold, the total resistance of CNT networks changes nonlinearly and this effect of nonlinearity is due to tunneling effect. The strain sensitivity of CNT-based strain sensors also varies nonlinearly with the change in temperature. For the change of temperature from [Formula: see text]C to 50[Formula: see text]C, there is more than 100% change in strain sensitivity of CNT/polymer composite strain sensor. This change is mainly due to the infiltration of polymer into CNTs.

Multi-property enhancement of aligned carbon nanotube thin films from floating catalyst method

The carbon nanotube (CNT) thin film synthesized by the floating catalyst method has attracted increasing attention because of the easy fabrication process and promising mass production at low cost. However, the limited morphology-controlled structure and the loose CNT arrangement make CNT films show relatively low mechanical and electrical properties. In this work, highly dense CNT films with controllable density have been successfully fabricated by a fast two-step post treatment technique combining mechanical condensation and acid treatment. Multiple fracture mechanisms have been identified and analyzed to explain the mechanical performance of these CNT films, including the load transfer efficiency between CNTs, alignment and waviness of CNT films, as well as the effects of CNT qualities. Benefited from the stronger intertube interaction and better CNT quality, the combined post treatment method is found to have dramatically enhanced the mechanical and electrical properties of the CNT films, with tensile strength up to 243±16MPa (by 101%), modulus up to 2.5±0.1GPa (by 32%) and electrical conductivity up to 4990±636S/cm (by 254%) compared to the as-prepared ones. This work proposes a route to fabricate high-quality CNT films on a large scale as promising multifunctional engineering materials.

Effect of initial state on dispersion evolution of carbon nanotubes in aluminium matrix composites during a high-energy ball milling process

In this study, a pre-mixing process was applied to assist a high-energy ball milling (HEBM) process to fabricate high-strength aluminium (Al) matrix composites reinforced with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by powder metallurgy. Effects of initial state on the dispersion quality of CNTs in composites and resultant mechanical properties were investigated using electron microscopy and tensile testing, respectively. Results showed that after pre-mixing, raw CNT agglomerations became flattened CNT clusters, and evolved into individually dispersed CNT fragments on flaky Al powder surface after HEBM for 12 h. However, CNT clusters remained in the same HEBM process without pre-mixing. Both individual CNTs and CNT clusters were observed inside cold-welded Al particles with a prolonged milling time of 24 h. By applying pre-mixing, the reinforcing effect in CNT/Al composites increased by more than 100%. The distinct evolution processes of CNT dispersion during HEBM with different initial states have been discussed.

Field emission from optimized structure of carbon nanotube field emitter array

The authors report a detail study on the emission properties of field emitter array (FEA) of micro-circular emitters of multiwall carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The FEAs were fabricated on patterned substrates prepared with an array of circular titanium (Ti) islands on titanium nitride coated tantalum substrates. CNTs were rooted into these Ti islands to prepare an array of circular emitters. The circular emitters were prepared in different diameters and pitches in order to optimize their structure for acquiring a high emission current. The pitch was varied from 0 to 600 μm, while a diameter of circular emitters was kept constant to be 50 μm in order to optimize a pitch. For diameter optimization, a diameter was changed from 50 to 200 μm while keeping a constant edge-to-edge distance of 150 μm between the circular emitters. The FEA with a diameter of 50 μm and a pitch of 120 μm was found to be the best to achieve an emission current of 47 mA corresponding to an effective current density of 30.5 A/cm2 at 7 V/μm. The excellent emission current was attributed to good quality of CNT rooting into the substrate and optimized FEA structure, which provided a high electric field on a whole circular emitter of 50 μm and the best combination of the strong edge effect and CNT coverage. The experimental results were confirmed with computer simulation.

Gaseous product mixture from Fischer-Tropsch synthesis as an efficient carbon feedstock for low temperature CVD growth of carbon nanotube carpets.

Low-temperature chemical vapor deposition (CVD) growth of carbon nanotube (CNT) carpets from Fe and Fe-Cu catalysts using a gaseous product mixture from Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS-GP) as a superior carbon feedstock is demonstrated. This growth approach addresses a persistent issue of obtaining thick CNT carpets on temperature-sensitive substrates at low temperatures using a non-plasma CVD approach without catalyst pretreatment and/or preheating of the carbon feedstock. The efficiency of the process is evidenced by the highly dense, vertically aligned CNT structures from both Fe and Fe-Cu catalysts even at temperatures as low as 400 °C - a record low growth temperature for CNT carpets obtained via conventional thermal CVD. The grown CNTs exhibit a straight morphology with hollow interior and parallel graphitic planes along the tube walls. The apparent activation energies for CNT carpet growth on Fe and Fe-Cu catalysts are 0.71 and 0.54 eV, respectively. The synergistic effect of Fe and Cu show a strong dependence on the growth temperature, with Cu being more influential at temperatures higher than 450 °C. The low activation energies and long catalyst lifetimes observed are rationalized based on the unique composition of FTS-GP and Gibbs free energies for the decomposition reactions of the hydrocarbon components. The use of FTS-GP facilitates low-temperature growth of CNT carpets on traditional (alumina film) and nontraditional substrates (aluminum foil) and has the potential of enhancing CNT quality, catalyst lifetime, and scalability.

Synthesis of Aligned Carbon Nanotube (ACNT) through Catalytic Decomposition of Methane by Water-Assisted Chemical Vapor Deposition (WACVD)

The production of Carbon Nanotubes (CNT) has a problem with the limited results of Aligned CNT (ACNT) products, due the fact that an effective and economical method has not yet been discovered. This research used catalytic decomposition of methane with the Water-Assisted Chemical Vapor Deposition (WA-CVD) method by using a bench-scale plate structured catalyst reactor and a fixed bed reactor. The Fe-Ni/Al2O3 Catalyst prepared by sol-gel/dipcoating and Ni-Cu-Al Catalyst prepared by co-precipitation were used to make the CNT. Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) results show there are various types of nanocarbons produced, such as CNT, bamboo-shaped CNT and also quasi-spherical carbon onion shapes. Based on comparative results without adding the water vapor method, ACNT, which were obtained with WA-CVD, tend to grow vertically, even though they have not yet formed neat and uniform shapes. In addition, an increased number of CNT have high purity results. It shows that the role of water vapor significantly improves the quality of CNT.

Fabrication of a rotary carbon nanotube bearing test apparatus

Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) are attractive elements for bearings in Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS), because their structure comprises nested shells with no bonding and sub-nanometre spacing between them, enabling relative motion with low friction and wear. A reliable bearing technology is critical to bringing rotating MEMS machines from laboratory demonstrations to common use. We report here the design and fabrication of a test rotor, a testing apparatus and testing attempts, and integration of CNTs with MEMS. The device improves on existing CNT bearing demonstrators by establishing a vertical bearing orientation (enabling superior rotor balance and speed, and drive mechanism placement flexibility) and a manufacturable process (employing CNTs grown in place by chemical vapour deposition (CVD)). The main outstanding challenge to demonstrating rotation is available CVD CNT quality.

Localization of carbon nanotubes in resin rich zones of a woven composite linked to the dispersion state

The final position of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in a fiber-reinforced composite and its mechanical properties can be influenced by the dispersion quality of CNTs in the resin. This topic is investigated here on the example of a woven glass fiber/epoxy composite. Two different localization states of CNTs in the composite are achieved by choosing matrices with two different dispersion states but the same CNT concentration. The two investigated states of dispersion are (1) a uniform dispersion with small CNT agglomerates and (2) an interconnected dispersion where CNTs form a network with large features. The uniform dispersion results in a better distribution of CNTs throughout the composite with CNTs also appearing inside the fiber bundles. The network-like dispersion, on the other hand, tends to localize CNTs in resin rich zones. The composite with CNTs in the resin rich zones has a higher strain-to-failure (by 10%) and a lower density of transverse cracks (by 29%) in comparison with a virgin composite. In the meantime, a lower strain-to-failure and about the same crack density are measured for the composite where CNTs appear in small individual agglomerates.

High Quality Carbon Nanotubes on Conductive Substrates Grown at Low Temperatures

For carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to be exploited in electronic applications, the growth of high quality material on conductive substrates at low temperatures (<450 °C) is required. CNT quality is known to be strongly degraded when growth is conducted on metallic surfaces, particularly at low temperatures using conventional chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Here, the production of high quality vertically‐aligned CNTs at low substrate temperatures (350–440 °C) on conductive TiN thin film using photo‐thermal CVD is demonstrated by confining the energy required for growth to just the catalyst using an array of optical lamps and by optimizing the thickness of the TiN under‐layer. The thickness of the TiN plays a crucial role in determining various properties including diameter, material quality, number of shells, and metallicity. The highest structural quality with a visible Raman D‐ to G‐band intensity ratio as low as 0.13 is achieved for 100 nm TiN thickness grown at 420 °C; a record low value for low temperature CVD grown CNTs. Electrical measurements of high density CNT arrays show the resistivity to be 1.25 × 10‐2 Ω cm representing some of the lowest values reported. Finally, broader aspects of using this approach as a scalable technology for carbon nanomaterial production are also discussed.