Large-scale production of aligned carbon nanotubes by the vapor phase growth method

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0009-2614(02)00648-6

Carbon nanotubes (CNT) have potential applications for hydrogen storage. Aligned multiwalled carbon nanotubes were massively synthesized by the pyrolysis of Fe(CO)₅ and C₂H₂ mixtures in a simply designed horizontal reactor at 750°-950°C. The method allowed the deposition of CNT along the total heating zone of the quartz tube without using the cold injector, and realized a mass production of high quality CNT homogeneously using a higher flow rate of Ar carrier gas. C₂H₂ direct bubbling was a more effective than Ar direct bubbling for large scale CNT growth, resulting in a length of 2000μm. The crystallinity of graphite sheets was enhanced by increasing the flow of the rate of Ar carrier gas, and by employing C₂H₂ direct bubbling.