Premium
Carbon Nanotube Mass Production: Principles and Processes
Author(s) -
Zhang Qiang,
Huang JiaQi,
Zhao MengQiang,
Qian WeiZhong,
Wei Fei
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
chemsuschem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.412
H-Index - 157
eISSN - 1864-564X
pISSN - 1864-5631
DOI - 10.1002/cssc.201100177
Subject(s) - carbon nanotube , commercialization , nanotechnology , economies of agglomeration , materials science , production (economics) , process engineering , chemical engineering , business , engineering , marketing , economics , macroeconomics
Abstract Our society requires new materials for a sustainable future, and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are among the most important advanced materials. This Review describes the state‐of‐the‐art of CNT synthesis, with a focus on their mass‐production in industry. At the nanoscale, the production of CNTs involves the self‐assembly of carbon atoms into a one‐dimensional tubular structure. We describe how this synthesis can be achieved on the macroscopic scale in processes akin to the continuous tonne‐scale mass production of chemical products in the modern chemical industry. Our overview includes discussions on processing methods for high‐purity CNTs, and the handling of heat and mass transfer problems. Manufacturing strategies for agglomerated and aligned single‐/multiwalled CNTs are used as examples of the engineering science of CNT production, which includes an understanding of their growth mechanism, agglomeration mechanism, reactor design, and process intensification. We aim to provide guidelines for the production and commercialization of CNTs. Although CNTs can now be produced on the tonne scale, knowledge of the growth mechanism at the atomic scale, the relationship between CNT structure and application, and scale‐up of the production of CNTs with specific chirality are still inadequate. A multidisciplinary approach is a prerequisite for the sustainable development of the CNT industry.