EFFECT OF REACTION TEMPERATURE ON THE PRODUCTION OF CARBON NANOTUBES
Abstract
A floating catalyst chemical vapor deposition (FC-CVD) method was designed and fabricated to produce high quality and quantity carbon nanotubes. The reaction temperature was optimized to produce high yield and purity of the carbon nanotubes. The reaction temperatures were varied from 500–850°C. The result shows that carbon nanotubes were observed from 600°C to 850°C with maximum numbers and high purity at 850°C. The diameter range of CNTs varied from 2 to 55 nm. The results of the present investigation suggest that the observed changes in catalytic activity and selectivity accompanying an increase in temperature are probably due to major alterations in the distribution of atoms at the metal/gas interface. Thermodynamically, higher temperatures favor the surface decomposition of hydrocarbon rather than the hydrogenation reactions.
