10th International Aerosol Conference September 2 - September 7, 2018 America's Center Convention Complex St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Abstract View
Plasma Synthesis of Mass-Produced CNT Materials
BRIAN GRAVES, Jean de La Verpilliere, Simon Engelke, Fiona Smail, Michael De Volder, Adam M Boies, University of Cambridge
Abstract Number: 1237 Working Group: Materials Synthesis
Abstract The exceptional mechanical, thermal, and electrical performance of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) makes them ideal for a wide range of applications, however they are costly to produce and difficult to integrate effectively with other materials. We have developed a microwave plasma based process that can continuously synthesize several novel gas-phase CNT materials.
The presentation will demonstrate how transition metal catalyst particles are nucleated from the plasma and CNTs are grown from these particles in a furnace via gas-phase CVD. With this approach, a CNT-metal oxide hybrid material has been produced for use in lithium ion battery anodes. Findings from battery cycling demonstrate how this material offers increased storage capacity, greater cyclability, and a higher resistance to degradation from high discharge powers. Additionally, it is also possible to produce CNTs for structural and thermal applications. If the CNTs can achieve a sufficient length and number concentration they coagulate to form an aerogel which can be extracted continuously from the reactor. The self-assembled CNT structure can be wound to form fibres and mats which can be easily integrated into composites, wires, and heat pipes, among many other applications.
This plasma-based process exhibits several key advantages over other techniques. The extremely high temperature of the plasma permits vaporization of a wide range of precursor materials, including those in powdered, elemental form which are ideal for an industrial process since they are cheap and readily available. The plasma also has a high energy density, meaning that a large material throughput can be achieved with a small system. Large-scale production of these materials with this method could contribute to significant advances in materials for an array of engineering fields.