Carbon Nanotube Fibers Prepared by Activating Deactivated Iron Particles in Floating Catalyst Chemical Vapor Deposition Tail Gas

Catalysts can determine the structure and properties of carbon nanotube (CNT) fibers fabricated using the floating catalyst chemical vapor deposition (FCCVD) method. The tail gas left over when CNT fibers are fabricated by the FCCVD method has been proven to contain deactivated iron nanoparticles, as well as carbide gas and hydrogen. This study demonstrates that the deactivated iron nanoparticles in tail gas can be successfully activated in a double furnace system under certain conditions. CNT fibers can be successfully prepared using the activated iron nanoparticles by adding the precursor without the catalyst. These CNT fibers are composed of double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWNTs) and have low density, high strength, and electrical conductivity