Synthesis of Carbon Nanostructures by Thermo-Mechanical Means

Abstract

Different C phases have been developed by mechanical milling, conventional heat treatments and Spark Plasma Sintering of C soot and transition metals (Fe or Ni). Transition metals are known to catalyze the development of different C phases. The energy input involved in such a processing method has been used to develop composite and ceramic materials made of transition metals and fullerenes and C soot. The as milled samples as well as the sintered composites show various dispersions of diamonds, fullerenes, carbon nanotubes, graphitic carbon, graphenes, among other nanostructures. Thus milling, heat treatment or sintering of quasi-amorphous carbon nanostructures with different transition metals under various conditions can be a simple route to synthesize the above mentioned phases in solid state. Results of electron (scanning and transmission) microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, XRD and nanohardness are presented and discussed accordingly.