Microwave Plasma Formation of Nanographene and Graphitic Carbon Black
Raju R. Kumal,
Akshay Gharpure,
Vignesh Viswanathan,
Aayush Mantri,
George Skoptsov,
Randy Vander Wal
Affiliations
Raju R. Kumal
John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering, the EMS Energy Institute and the University Coalition for Fossil Energy Research (UCFER) Program, Penn State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
Akshay Gharpure
John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering, the EMS Energy Institute and the University Coalition for Fossil Energy Research (UCFER) Program, Penn State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
Vignesh Viswanathan
H Quest Vanguard, Inc., 750 William Pitt Way, Pittsburgh, PA 15238, USA
Aayush Mantri
H Quest Vanguard, Inc., 750 William Pitt Way, Pittsburgh, PA 15238, USA
George Skoptsov
H Quest Vanguard, Inc., 750 William Pitt Way, Pittsburgh, PA 15238, USA
Randy Vander Wal
John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering, the EMS Energy Institute and the University Coalition for Fossil Energy Research (UCFER) Program, Penn State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
Aerosol formation of novel carbons offers potential for scale and purity unmatched by condensed phase processes. A microwave driven plasma drives decarbonization of methane to form solid carbon as an aerosol. Dependent upon gas mixture, different forms of carbon are produced: 2D nanographene and a 3D graphitic carbon black analogue. TEM reveals the morphological differences and nanostructure. The ability to tune the dominant form is demonstrated by control of the CH4/Ar ratio. TGA plots reveal the change in products with feed gas composition and quality by oxidation temperature shift. Corresponding Raman analysis illustrates control of graphene content and lamellae quality by peak ratios. To test the origins of the graphitic particles and nanographene, a commercial carbon black was seeded into the microwave reactor, demonstrating a path for graphitic nanostructure evolution and confirming the molecular growth origins for the nanographene.
