# US 7,608,331 B2 · Cladophora-form carbon comprising carbon nanomaterials radially grown on a spherical core, process for producing the same and production apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,608,331 B2 - Document ID: US7608331B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/597,361 - Filed: 2005-05-10 - Published: 2008-08-14 - Granted: 2009-10-27 - Earliest claimed: 2004-05-24 - Assignees: National Institute for Materials Science - Inventors: Toshihiro Ando; Kiyoharu Nakagawa; Mika Gamo; Hirokazu Oda - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7608331B2 ## CPC - C01B 32/162: characterised by catalysts - B01J 23/44: Palladium - B01J 23/75: Cobalt - B01J 23/755: Nickel - B82Y 30/00: Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites - B82Y 40/00: Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures - D01F 9/127: by thermal decomposition of hydrocarbon gases or vapours {or other carbon-containing compounds in the form of gas or vapour, e.g. carbon monoxide, alcohols} - Y10T 428/2991: Coated - C01B: NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; {METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C} - B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS - B82Y: SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES - D01F: CHEMICAL FEATURES IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FILAMENTS, THREADS, FIBRES, BRISTLES OR RIBBONS; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CARBON FILAMENTS - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract A fine spherical particle formed of diamond as a core and having carbon nano-materials radially grown therefrom is disclosed, which exhibits the appearance of a Marimo (Cladophora sauteri) particle. Fine diamond catalytic particles 2 whose surfaces are oxidized and treated to carry a transition metal catalyst are floated and stirred in a gas phase of hydrocarbon while being heated at a selected temperature to bring about a catalytic reaction which synthesizes carbon nano-materials and to grow them on the surface of said oxidized fine diamond particle. Nano fibers or filaments 32 of a nano size are grown from the fine diamond catalytic particle 31 as a core to form cladophora-form carbon. The carbon nano-materials if the supported transition metal is Ni or Co become carbon nano-tubes and if it is Pd become coin stacked carbon nano-graphite. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A cladophora-form carbon comprising a fine spherical particle made of a fine diamond particle whose surface is oxidized, a transition metal catalyst of any one of Ni, Co, and Pd carried on the surface of the oxidized fine diamond particle, and carbon nano-materials grown radially over the entire surface of the transition metal catalyst. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The cladophora-form carbon as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that said transition metal catalyst is Ni or Co and that said carbon nano-materials are carbon nano-tubes. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The cladophora-form carbon as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that said transition metal catalyst is Pd and that said carbon nano-materials have coin stacked structures and are made of carbon nano-graphite. ### Claim 4 A method of making a cladophora-form carbon, characterized in that it comprises: preparing fine diamond catalytic particles whose surfaces are oxidized and have a catalyst of a transition metal of any one of Ni, Co, and Pd carried thereon to form fine diamond catalytic particles; said fine diamond catalytic particles are fluidized and stirred in a gas phase consisting of a hydrocarbon to form a fluidized gas phase state, a carbon nano-material is grown radially over the entire surface of said fine diamond catalytic particles, and a cladophora-form carbon is manufactured which comprises: a fine spherical particle made of said oxidized fine diamond particles; said transition metal catalyst carried on the surface of said oxidized fine diamond particle; and said carbon nano-materials grown radially over the entire surface of the transition metal catalyst. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of making a cladophora-form carbon as set forth in claim 4, characterized in that said transition metal carried on the oxidized surface of said fine diamond particle is Ni or Co and that said carbon nano-materials grown on said fine diamond catalytic particle surface by floating and stirring in a gas phase of hydrocarbon while heating them to a catalytic reaction temperature sufficient to synthesize carbon nano-materials, and said carbon nano-material grown on the surface of said fine diamond catalytic particle is a carbon nano-tube. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The method of making a cladophora-form carbon as set forth in claim 4, characterized in that said transition metal carried on the oxidized surface of said fine diamond particle is Pd and that said carbon nano-materials grown on said fine diamond catalytic particle surface by floating and stirring in a gas phase of hydrocarbon while heating them to a catalytic reaction temperature sufficient to synthesize carbon nano-materials, and said carbon nano-material grown on the surface of said fine diamond catalytic particle has a coin stacked structure and is made of carbon nano-graphite. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5, 6) The method of making a cladophora-form carbon as set forth in any one of claims 5 or 6, characterized in that said catalytic reaction temperature is a temperature ranging between 400° C. and 600° C. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4, 5, 6) The method of making a cladophora-form carbon as set forth in any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that said oxidized fine diamond particle has a particle size of not greater than 500 nm. ### Claim 9 (depends on 4, 5, 6) The method of making a cladophora-form carbon as set forth in any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that said hydrocarbon is methane.