# US 2014/0154416 A1 · Apparatus and method for producing oriented carbon nanotube aggregate

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- Number: US 2014/0154416 A1
- Document ID: US20140154416A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/119,981
- Filed: 2012-05-30
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2011-05-31
- Assignees: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology; Zeon Corporation
- Inventors: Mitsuhito Hirota; Akiyoshi Shibuya; Mitsugu Uejima; Kenji Hata; Motoo Yumura
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140154416A1

## CPC

- C01B 32/162: characterised by catalysts
- B82Y 30/00: Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
- B82Y 40/00: Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures
- C01B 32/168: After-treatment
- C01B 2202/08: Aligned nanotubes
- C23C 16/54: Apparatus specially adapted for continuous coating
- C01B: NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; {METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C}
- B82Y: SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES
- C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04)

## Abstract

An apparatus for producing an aligned carbon nanotube aggregate includes: a growth unit that includes a growth furnace for synthesizing the aligned carbon nanotube aggregate by causing an environment surrounding a catalyst to be an environment of a raw material gas and by heating at least either the catalyst or the raw material gas; a transfer unit that transfers an aligned CNT aggregate production substrate from an inside to an outside of the growth furnace; and a heating section for heating, from the outside of the growth furnace, an outlet of the growth furnace through which outlet the aligned CNT aggregate production substrate exits from the growth furnace.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus for producing an aligned carbon nanotube aggregate by synthesizing the aligned carbon nanotube aggregate on a substrate for producing the aligned carbon nanotube aggregate, the substrate being constituted by a base substrate which supports a catalyst on a surface thereof, the apparatus comprising:
a growth unit that includes a growth furnace for synthesizing the aligned carbon nanotube aggregate by causing an environment surrounding the catalyst to be an environment of a raw material gas and by heating at least either the catalyst or the raw material gas;
a transfer unit that transfers the substrate from an inside to an outside of the growth furnace; and
heating means for heating, from the outside of the growth furnace, an outlet of the growth furnace through which outlet the substrate exits from the growth furnace.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:
a cooling unit that includes a cooling furnace for cooling the substrate on which the aligned carbon nanotube aggregate is synthesized; and
a connecting section that spatially connects respective furnace spaces of the growth furnace and the cooling furnace,
the transfer unit transferring the substrate from the growth unit to the cooling unit, and
the heating means heating an internal space of the connecting section.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:
gas mixing prevention means for preventing a gas outside the growth unit from flowing into the growth unit through the outlet of the growth unit,
the gas mixing prevention means including:
seal gas injection means for injecting a seal gas along an aperture plane of the outlet of the growth unit through which outlet the substrate exits from the growth unit; and
exhaust means for exhausting the seal gas to an outside of the apparatus by sucking the seal gas so as to prevent the seal gas from entering the growth furnace through the outlet of the growth unit.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein the heating means is configured to heat the seal gas.

### Claim 5

A method for producing an aligned carbon nanotube aggregate by synthesizing the aligned carbon nanotube aggregate on a substrate for producing the aligned carbon nanotube aggregate, the substrate being constituted by a base substrate which supports a catalyst on a surface thereof, the method comprising:
a growth step of synthesizing the aligned carbon nanotube aggregate by use of a production apparatus,
the production apparatus including:
a growth unit that includes a growth furnace for synthesizing the aligned carbon nanotube aggregate by causing an environment surrounding the catalyst to be an environment of a raw material gas and by heating at least either the catalyst or the raw material gas;
a transfer unit that transfers the substrate from an inside to an outside of the growth furnace; and
heating means for heating, from the outside of the growth furnace, an outlet of the growth furnace through which outlet the substrate exits from the growth furnace, and
the growth step being carried out in the growth unit while the outlet is heated from the outside of the growth furnace.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method as set forth in claim 5, wherein:
the growth step is carried out by use of the production apparatus further including gas mixing prevention means for preventing a gas outside the growth unit from flowing into the growth unit through the outlet of the growth unit; and
in the growth step, by use of the gas mixing prevention means, while a seal gas is injected along an aperture plane of the outlet of the growth unit through which outlet the substrate exits from the growth unit, the seal gas is exhausted to an outside of the production apparatus by sucking the seal gas so as to prevent the seal gas from entering the growth furnace through the outlet of the growth unit.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method as set forth in claim 6, wherein:
by use of the production apparatus in which the heating means is configured to heat the seal gas,
the growth step is carried out while the seal gas is heated by the heating means.

### Claim 8 (depends on 5)

The method as set forth in claim 5, further comprising a cooling step of, after the growth step, cooling the aligned carbon nanotube aggregate, the catalyst, and the base substrate by use of the production apparatus further including a cooling unit that includes a cooling furnace for cooling the substrate on which the aligned carbon nanotube aggregate is synthesized.