Method for continuous and controllable production of single walled carbon nanotubes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016009557-A1
Application number	US-201514794931-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 9, 2015
Priority date	Jul 9, 2014
Publication date	Jan 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to methods for producing a single-walled carbon nanotube in a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactor. The methods comprise contacting liquid catalyst droplets and a carbon source in the reactor, and forming a single walled carbon nanotube at the surface of the liquid catalyst droplets.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for producing a single-walled carbon nanotube in a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactor comprising:
contacting liquid catalyst droplets and a carbon source in the reactor; and forming a single walled carbon nanotube at the surface of the liquid catalyst droplets.

2 . A method for producing a single-walled carbon nanotube in a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactor comprising:
introducing colloidal solid catalyst particles into the reactor at a decomposition temperature above the melting point of the catalyst particles to form liquid catalyst droplets; contacting the liquid catalyst droplets and a carbon source in the reactor at a synthesis temperature above the decomposition temperature; and forming a single walled carbon nanotube at the surface of the liquid catalyst droplets.

3 . The method in accordance with claim 2 , further comprising thermally removing the solution surrounding the colloidal solid catalyst particles.

4 . The method in accordance with claim 2 , further comprising removing the liquid catalyst droplets larger than a determined particle size.

5 . The method in accordance with claim 2 , further comprising cooling the liquid catalyst droplets to a solidification temperature.

6 . The method in accordance with claim 2 , wherein the catalyst particles comprise a material selected from the group consisting of iron, nickel, cobalt, copper, chromium, indium, gallium, platinum, manganese, cerium, europium, ytterbium, silver, gold, zinc, cadmium, lanthanum, and combinations thereof.

7 . The method in accordance with claim 2 , wherein the carbon source is a material selected from the group consisting of carbon monoxide, ethanol, aliphatic hydrocarbons, oxygenated hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons, and mixtures thereof.

8 . The method in accordance with claim 2 , wherein the reactor includes a vertical or horizontal configuration.

9 . The method in accordance with claim 2 , wherein the method continuously produces single-walled carbon nanotubes in the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactor.

10 . A method of producing a single-walled carbon nanotube comprising:
injecting a catalyst metalorganic precursor comprising a catalyst into a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactor at a decomposition temperature above the melting point of the catalyst to remove the organic material and to form liquid catalyst droplets; contacting the liquid catalyst droplets and a carbon source in the reactor at a synthesis temperature above the decomposition temperature; and growing the single-walled carbon nanotube at the surface of the liquid catalyst droplets.

11 . The method in accordance with claim 10 , further comprising removing the liquid catalyst droplets larger than a determined particle size.

12 . The method in accordance with claim 10 , further comprising cooling the liquid catalyst droplets in a cooling zone to a solidification temperature.

13 . The method in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the catalyst is a material selected from the group consisting of iron, nickel, cobalt, copper, chromium, indium, gallium, platinum, manganese, cerium, europium, ytterbium, silver, gold, zinc, cadmium, lanthanum, and combinations thereof.

14 . The method in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the carbon source is a material selected from the group consisting of carbon monoxide, ethanol, aliphatic hydrocarbons, oxygenated hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons, and mixtures thereof.

15 . The method in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the decomposition temperature ranges from about 150° C. to about 400° C.

16 . The method in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the synthesis temperature ranges from about 500° C. to about 1300° C.

17 . The method in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the liquid catalyst droplets and the carbon source are contacted in a growing zone of the reactor.

18 . The method in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the method continuously produces single-walled carbon nanotubes in the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactor.

19 . A method of producing a single-walled carbon nanotube comprising:
injecting vapor of a powdered catalyst metalorganic precursor comprising a catalyst into a carrier gas in a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactor at a decomposition temperature above the melting point of the catalyst to remove the organic material and to form liquid catalyst droplets; transporting the liquid catalyst droplets from the decomposition zone of the reactor to a growing zone of the reactor with the carrier gas; contacting the liquid catalyst droplets and a carbon source in the growing zone at a synthesis temperature above the decomposition temperature; and growing the single-walled carbon nanotube at the surface of the liquid catalyst droplets.

20 . The method in accordance with claim 19 , wherein the reactor is configured horizontally.

21 . The method in accordance with claim 19 , wherein the catalyst is a material selected from the group consisting of iron, nickel, cobalt, copper, chromium, indium, gallium, platinum, manganese, cerium, europium, ytterbium, silver, gold, zinc, cadmium, lanthanum, and combinations thereof.

22 . The method in accordance with claim 19 , wherein the carbon source is a material selected from the group consisting of carbon monoxide, ethanol, aliphatic hydrocarbons, oxygenated hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons, and mixtures thereof.

23 . The method in accordance with claim 19 , wherein the carrier gas is a material selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, helium, argon, neon, krypton, xenon, and mixtures thereof.

24 . The method in accordance with claim 19 , wherein a plurality of single-walled carbon nanotubes are grown on the surface of the liquid catalyst droplets.

25 . The method in accordance with claim 19 , wherein the decomposition temperature and the synthesis temperature are below a vaporization temperature of the liquid catalyst droplets.

26 . The method in accordance with claim 19 , wherein the method continuously produces single-walled carbon nanotubes in the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactor.

Assignees

• Harutyunyan Avetik
• Rao Rahul
• Chou Nam Hawn
• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Harutyunyan Avetik
• Rao Rahul
• Chou Nam Hawn

Classifications

• B01J35/45

  Nanoparticles · CPC title

• C01B32/162 Primary

  characterised by catalysts · CPC title

• C01B31/024 Primary

  Chemistry & Metallurgy · mapped topic

• C01B2202/02

  Single-walled nanotubes · CPC title

• B01J35/23

  in a colloidal state · CPC title