Mass Production of Carbon Nanotubes Using Fluidized Bed Reactor: A Short Review

Abstract

In recent years, the carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have remained the most discussed materials due to their distinctive characteristics and potential industrial applications. These materials have brought revolutionary changes in the field of medical treatment, electronic devices, communication, sensors, energy storage, etc. Among the various practiced techniques, the Fluidized Bed Catalytic Chemical Vapor Deposition (FBCCVD) is the most pronounced technique for mass production of carbon nanotubes. Although, FBCCVD is a scalable and relatively low cost technique for bulk production of CNTs, still some of the dominant process parameters impacting the CNTs nucleation and growth should be more understood. Better control over these parameters would help the researchers to improve CNTs morphology, to optimize productivity and to scale up the process parameters. Therefore, this study includes a general overview of FBCCVD and other key parameters effecting CNTs formation. The main objective of the presented literature review is to discuss and elaborate the scientific phenomena behind this process and to sketch a future roadmap.