On the Morphological Dependency of CNTs on Catalyst Support in a CVD Reactor

Abstract

The structural and morphological dependency of CNTs on the decomposition of acetylene gas on varied catalyst mixed in CVD reactor has been explored. Wet impregnation method was adopted for the catalyst preparation via the application of activated carbon and alumina as supported material. The effects of nickel ferrites doping on the activated carbon and alumina on the structural morphology of CNTs were also examined. The result of the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) revealed the formation of tailored morphology resulting to a dense and long strand of CNTs when support materials were doped with nickel ferrites. Furthermore, the X-Ray diffractometer (XRD) analysis revealed the formation of graphitic carbon at diffraction angle of 25.67 and 43.28o for both the CNTs produced from pure activated carbon and that of Fe-Ni/activated carbon. In addition to these graphitic phase formation on both CNTs, the presence of nickel ferrites were also observed. The average crystallite particle size of the CNTs produced from pure activated carbon and Fe-Ni/activated carbon were estimated to be 2.31 and 7.11 nm. The results of the analysis are indications to the potential characteristic properties of activated carbon as an excellent support material for the synthesized of tailored CNTs in CVD reactor.