Mass Production of Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes by Chemical Vapor Deposition

Abstract

We elaborated a continuous production method for multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) based on a rotary tube furnace. MWCNTs were synthesized by chemical vapor deposition of C2H2 over Fe1−xCox catalyst supported by carbonate. Growth parameters were optimized in a fixed bed furnace in order to increase the yield and the product quality. We have found an optimum for x=0.25, at 700°C by using CaCO3 as support. Co content does not only influence the quantity but also the quality of the product. The increase of the growth temperature as well as the use of other alkaline earth carbonates led to a decrease of the MWCNT yield. Based on these results, we determined the optimum conditions for our rotary tube furnace (rotation speed, gas flux, inclination) and achieved production of 500g/day of purified MWCNTs