Carbon nanotube production process and carbon nanotube production apparatus

A carbon nanotube production apparatus by a chemical vapor deposition method, comprising:

• a reactor that accommodates a substrate;
• the substrate comprising a first side and a second side;
• a first hydrogen permeable electrode layer provided on the first side;
• a second hydrogen permeable electrode layer provided on the second side;
• a polymer electrolyte layer having proton conductivity interposed between the first and second hydrogen permeable electrode layers;
• and a catalyst that promotes a forming reaction of a carbon nanotube supported on the first side, the substrate having the first hydrogen permeable electrode layer interposed between the catalyst and the polymer electrolyte layer, the substrate being configured to allow hydrogen to permeate therethrough from the first side to the second side;
• a raw material gas feeding section that feeds a raw material gas that contains carbon atoms and hydrogen atoms to the first side;
• an oxidizing gas supply section the supplies an oxygen-containing gas to the second side and is configured to subject the hydrogen that is produced by the forming reaction of the carbon nanotube on the first side and has permeated from the first side to the second side to an electrochemical reaction with the oxidizing gas so that the hydrogen that is produced by the forming reaction of the carbon nanotube;
• a heater section that is configured to heat the reactor;
• and
• a heater power source section that is an electrical power source for the heater section, electrically connected between the first and second hydrogen permeable electrode layers configured to collect an electrical power that is generated by the electrochemical reaction to supply part of an electrical power that is supplied to the heater power source section.