On the Use of Carbon Cables from Plastic Solvent Combinations of Polystyrene and Toluene in Carbon Nanotube Synthesis

For every three people on the planet, there are approximately two Tonnes (Te) of plastic waste. We show that carbon recovery from polystyrene (PS) plastic is enhanced by the coaddition of solvents to grow carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by liquid injection chemical vapour deposition. Polystyrene was loaded up to 4 wt% in toluene and heated to 780 °C in the presence of a ferrocene catalyst and a hydrogen/argon carrier gas at a 1:19 ratio. High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Raman spectroscopy were used to identify multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The PS addition in the range from 0 to 4 wt% showed improved quality and CNT homogeneity; Raman “Graphitic/Defective” (G/D) values increased from 1.9 to 2.3; mean CNT diameters increased from 43.0 to 49.2 nm; and maximum CNT yield increased from 11.37% to 14.31%. Since both the CNT diameters and the percentage yield increased following the addition of polystyrene, we conclude that carbon from PS contributes to the carbon within the MWCNTs. The electrical contact resistance of acid-washed Bucky papers produced from each loading ranged from 2.2 to 4.4 Ohm, with no direct correlation to PS loading. Due to this narrow range, materials with different loadings were mixed to create the six wires of an Ethernet cable and tested using iPerf3; the cable achieved up- and down- link speeds of ~99.5 Mbps, i.e., comparable to Cu wire with the same dimensions (~99.5 Mbps). The lifecycle assessment (LCA) of CNT wire production was compared to copper wire production for a use case in a Boeing 747-400 over the lifespan of the aircraft. Due to their lightweight nature, the CNT wires decreased the CO2 footprint by 21 kTonnes (kTe) over the aircraft’s lifespan.

Catalytic Decomposition of Ethanol over Bimetallic Nico Catalysts for Carbon Nanotube Synthesis

In this work we investigate the use of NiCo bimetal/oxide as catalyst for hydrogen production from ethanol, with a focus on the deactivation pattern and the nature of the observed carbon deposition. It is well known that sintering and coke deposition during decomposition reaction significantly reduces the activity of the catalysts at higher temperature, by blocking the active sites of the catalysts. During ethanol decomposition reaction, the cleavage of C-C bond produces adsorbed *CH4 and *CO species that further decompose to form carbonaceous compounds. FTIR in-situ analysis was conducted between 50 to 400°C for all the catalysts to understand the reaction mechanism and product selectivity. Cobalt was found to be selective for aldehyde and acetate, whereas bimetallic Ni-Co was selective for the formation of CO at 400°C along with aldehyde. Complete conversion of ethanol was observed at 350°C and 420°C for NiCo and Cobalt respectively indicating an improvement in the rate of conversion when Ni was added to cobalt. The crystallinity, morphology and particle analysis of the used catalyst after reaction were studied using XRD, SEM and TEM respectively. The XRD shows the complete phase change of porous NiCoO2 to NiCo alloy and SEM indicates the presence of fibrous structure on the surface with 91.7 % of carbon while keeping 1:1 ratio of Ni and Co after the reaction. The detailed analysis of carbon structure using HRTEM-STEM shows the simultaneous growth of carbon nano fibers (CNFs) and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) that were favored on larger and smaller crystallites respectively. Analysis of carbon formation on individual Co catalyst and bimetallic NiCo catalyst shows a clear difference in the initiation pattern of carbon deposition. Metallic Co nanoparticles were found to be more mobile where Co disperses along the catalysts surface, whereas NiCo nanoparticles were relatively less mobile, and maintained their structure.

Precise Catalyst Production for Carbon Nanotube Synthesis with Targeted Structure Enrichment

The direct growth of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) with a narrow distribution of diameter or chirality remains elusive despite significant benefits in properties and applications. Nanoparticle catalysts are vital for SWCNT synthesis, but how to precisely manipulate their chemistry, size, concentration, and deposition remains difficult, especially within a continuous production process from the gas phase. Here, we demonstrate the preparation of W6Co7 alloyed nanoparticle catalysts with precisely tunable stoichiometry using electrospray, which remain solid state during SWCNT growth. We also demonstrate continuous production of liquid iron nanoparticles with in-line size selection. With the precise size manipulation of catalysts in the range of 1–5 nm, and a nearly monodisperse distribution (σg < 1.2), an excellent size selection of SWCNTs can be achieved. All of the presented techniques show great potential to facilitate the realization of single-chirality SWCNTs production.

Precise Catalyst Production for Carbon Nanotube Synthesis with Targeted Structure Enrichment

The direct growth of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) with a narrow distribution of diameter or chirality remains elusive despite significant benefits in properties and applications. Nanoparticle catalysts are vital for SWCNT synthesis, but how to precisely manipulate their chemistry, size, concentration, and deposition remains difficult, especially within a continuous production process from the gas-phase. Here, we demonstrate the preparation of W6Co7 alloyed nanoparticle catalysts with precisely tunable stoichiometry using electrospray, which remain solid state during SWCNT growth. We also demonstrate continuous production of liquid iron nanoparticles with in-line size selection. With the precise size manipulation of catalysts in the range of 1-5 nm, and a nearly monodisperse distribution (&sigma;g &lt; 1.2), an excellent size selection of SWCNT can be achieved. All of the presented techniques show great potential to facilitate the realization of single-chirality SWCNT production.