METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THE CONTINUOUS PRODUCTION AND FUNCTIONALIZATION OF SINGLE-WALED CARBON NANOTUBES USING A HIGH FREQUENCY PLASMA TORCH

摘要

An integrated method and apparatus to continuously produce purified Single Wall Carbon Nanotubes (SWNT) from a continuous supply of solid carbon powder fed to an induction plasma torch. The apparatus includes a reactor body disposed to maintain laminar flow of gases with the torch body and coupled to a quenching body where temperature and residence time is controlled. Conveniently, functionalization may take place in the quenching body. The torch is operated with an argon carrier gas, an argon stabilizing gas and a helium sheath gas. Solid carbon reactants are preferably mixed with at least two metal catalysts containing nickel and cobalt with additional metal oxides of yttrium and cerium being desirable.