Radio Frequency Thermal Plasma: The Cutting Edge Technology in Production of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

Abstract

The radio frequency (RF) inductively coupled plasma technique is a new and promising synthesis method of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) at large scales, for industrial and commercial applications. In this method, a mixture of carbon black and metal catalysts is directly vaporized by the RF plasma. Subsequently, inside the reactor chamber and under a controlled temperature gradient, carbon-metal clusters are formed and become the potential sites for nucleation and growth of SWCNTs. In this process, the local plasma properties and the thermo-fluid field in the system affect the yield rate of SWCNTs, and therefore it is important to find an appropriate operating condition, which maximizes the yield rate. Numerical modeling in conjunction with experimental studies can help investigate the contribution of the thermo-fluid field and process parameters to the formation of catalyst nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes in the induction thermal plasma system. The goal of this research is to carry numerical study of SWCNT growth in a RF induction thermal plasma system with a suitable chemistry model. This model is employed to investigate the influence of the thermo-fluid field and gas-phase reactions on carbon nanotube growth and to predict the SWCNT yield rate as a function of operating conditions.

Keywords

• single-walled carbon nanotubes (swcnts)
• radio frequency (rf) induction thermal plasma
• numerical modeling