Carbon Materials and Technology
Sung Yong Kim; Megha Chitranshi; Anuptha Pujari; Vianessa Ng; Ashley Kubley; Ronald Hudepohl; Vesselin Shanov; Devanathan Anantharaman; Daniel Chen; Devika Chauhan; Mark Schulz
Abstract
This paper addresses the design of a reactor system for manufacturing carbon nanotube (CNT) fabric and carbon hybrid materials (CHM). A web or sock of CNT is formed in a reactor tube in the gas phase pyrolysis method. The sock exits the reactor tube and is wound layer by layer onto a drum to directly ...
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This paper addresses the design of a reactor system for manufacturing carbon nanotube (CNT) fabric and carbon hybrid materials (CHM). A web or sock of CNT is formed in a reactor tube in the gas phase pyrolysis method. The sock exits the reactor tube and is wound layer by layer onto a drum to directly form a nonwoven fabric. Metal nanoparticles and continuous microfibers can be integrated into the synthesis process to form CHM. Continuous direct manufacturing of fabric is an advantage of the method. However, the reliability of this manufacturing process in our particular reactor system is affected by several problems. These include occasional breaking of the sock, the need for daily cleaning of the ceramic reactor tube due to carbon deposits on the inside, sagging/bending of the reactor tube, and safety in handling the hydrogen gas produced from the reaction. Possible solutions to the problems are proposed. The importance of this research is that no other bulk material has the combination of properties of CNT hybrid fabric. If the properties can be further improved and customized, and if manufacturing of the material can be scaled-up at reasonable cost, many new commercial applications for nanotube custom materials could open up.
Carbon Materials and Technology
Sung Yong Kim; Megha Chitranshi; Anuptha Pujari; Vianessa Ng; Ashley Kubley; Ronald Hudepohl; Vesselin Shanov; Devanathan Anantharaman; Daniel Chen; Devika Chauhan; Mark Schulz
Abstract
The overall hypothesis for this paper is that accurately tuning the gas phase pyrolysis synthesis process and using appropriate raw materials will enable manufacturing different types of carbon hybrid materials (CHM). Optimizing multiple variables including particle melting and vaporization temperatures, ...
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The overall hypothesis for this paper is that accurately tuning the gas phase pyrolysis synthesis process and using appropriate raw materials will enable manufacturing different types of carbon hybrid materials (CHM). Optimizing multiple variables including particle melting and vaporization temperatures, fuel flow rate, gas flow rates, gas velocity, and sock wind-up speed is needed to achieve reliability of the synthesis process. Results from our specific reactor are presented to show how the process variables interact and how they affect CNT sock yield and stability. Metal nanoparticle (NP) injection enables the formation of hybrid materials. Several types of CHM materials created by incorporating different types of NPs into the carbon nanotube (CNT) synthesis process and CNT sock are discussed. Many possible combinations of metal NPs can be used in the process to customize the properties of CHM. However, it is a complex problem to determine what metal compounds can chemically join with CNT. Some of the first results testing the new CHM process are presented in this paper.