Abstract
Carbon material was produced using an inductively coupled thermal plasma torch system of 35 kW and a conical shape reactor. The carbon nanopowders were obtained by plasma decomposition of methane at various flow rates and show a uniform microstructure throughout the reactor. The product has a crystalline graphitic structure, with a stacking of between 6 and 16 planes and a nano-flake morphology with particles dimensions of approximately 100 nm long, 50 nm wide and 5 nm thick. Nitrogen was also introduced in some synthesis experiments along with the methane precursor using flow rates of 0.1 and 0.2 slpm. The resulting product has the same structural properties and the nitrogen is incorporated into the graphitic structure through pyridinic type bonds.
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Notes
Carbon Black User’s Guide. Safety, Health, and Environmental Information. International carbon black association (ICBA) www.carbon-black.org.
Induction Plasma Torch PL-35 and PL-50, Operation and Service Manual. Sherbrook: Tekna Plasma Systems, Inc., 2004.
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy Database Version 3.5, www.nist.gov.
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The financial contributions of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada, FQNRT and General Motors Canada are gratefully acknowledged.
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Pristavita, R., Meunier, JL. & Berk, D. Carbon Nano-Flakes Produced by an Inductively Coupled Thermal Plasma System for Catalyst Applications. Plasma Chem Plasma Process 31, 393–403 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11090-011-9289-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11090-011-9289-0