Apparatus for producing single-wall carbon nanotubes
AssigneeInstitut National De La Recherche Scientifique
InventorsOlivier SMILJANIC, Barry L. STANSFIELD
Life of this patent
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Abstract
There is provided an apparatus for producing single-wall carbon nanotubes. The apparatus comprises a plasma torch having a plasma tube adapted to receive an inert gas and form an inert gas plasma; a feeder adapted to direct a carbon-containing substance and a metal catalyst towards said inert gas plasma so that the carbon-containing substance and the metal catalyst contact said inert gas plasma downstream of where said inert gas is introduced in said plasma tube, to thereby form a plasma comprising atoms or molecules of carbon and the atoms of said metal; and a condenser for condensing the atoms or molecules of carbon and the atoms of said metal to form single-wall carbon nanotubes.
Claims26
-36. (canceled)
An apparatus for producing single-wall carbon nanotubes, which comprises:
- a plasma torch having a plasma tube adapted to receive an inert gas and form an inert gas plasma;
- a feeder adapted to direct a carbon-containing substance and a metal catalyst towards said inert gas plasma so that the carbon-containing substance and the metal catalyst contact said inert gas plasma downstream of where said inert gas is introduced in said plasma tube, to thereby form a plasma comprising atoms or molecules of carbon and the atoms of said metal;
- and
- a condenser for condensing the atoms or molecules of carbon and the atoms of said metal to form single-wall carbon nanotubes.
(canceled)
In an apparatus for producing single-wall carbon nanotubes comprising a plasma torch adapted to produce said single-wall carbon nanotubes and means for feeding an inert gas, a carbon-containing substance, and a metal catalyst into said torch so as to generate said single-wall carbon nanotubes, the improvement wherein said plasma torch comprises a feeder, disposed downstream of where the inert gas is injected into said plasma torch, and adapted to inject the carbon-containing substance and the metal catalyst, together or separately, into an inert gas plasma generated by said torch.
In an apparatus for producing single-wall carbon nanotubes comprising means for generating single-wall carbon nanotubes and a condenser for condensing single-wall carbon nanotubes, the improvement wherein said apparatus comprises an electrostatic trap comprising electrodes which are adapted to generate and electric current so as to collect said single-wall carbon nanotubes in the form of a deposit.
An apparatus for producing single-wall carbon nanotubes comprising:
- a plasma torch adapted to form an inert gas plasma;
- feeding means having a discharge end disposed downstream of where said inert gas is fed in said plasma torch, for injecting a carbon-containing substance and a metal catalyst in said inert gas plasma, downstream of said inert gas feed, to thereby form a plasma comprising atoms or molecules of carbon and the atoms of said metal;
- and
- a condenser adapted to condense the atoms or molecules of carbon and the atoms of said metal to form single-wall carbon nanotubes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.