Effects of increasing electrodes on CNTs yield synthesized by using arc-discharge technique

Abstract

A new design of fully automatic system was built up to produce multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) using arc discharge technique in deionized water and extra pure graphite multiple electrodes (99.9% pure). The goal of the experimental research is to determine the yield of CNT in two different cases: (a) single plasma electrodes and (b) multiplasma electrodes, particularly 10 electrodes. The experiments were performed at constant parameters (75 A, 238 V). The obtained CNT was examined by scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (HRTEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The results showed that the produced CNT is of type MWCNT, with a diameter of 5 nm, when using multiplasma electrodes and 13 nm when using single plasma electrodes. The yield of MWCNT was found to be 320% higher in case of comparing multielectrodes to that of single plasma electrodes. Under the experimental test conditions, a yield of 0.6 g/hr soot containing 40% by mass nanotube was obtained in case of single plasma electrodes and above 60% in case of multiplasma electrodes. © 2013 Samy Yousef et al.