The growth mechanism of carbon nanotubes from thermal cracking of acetylene over nickel catalyst supported on alumina

Improving the antistatic ability of polypropylene fibers by inner antistatic agent filled with carbon nanotubes

“…The growth of CNTs during above producing process included the following steps: at first the feed hydrocarbon molecules were adsorbed and decomposed on certain surface active sites of the metal particles of the catalyst to form carbon species; and then, some of the surface carbon species dissolved into the bulk and diffuse through the metal particle from the front face (i.e., the metalCNTs interface), then, some of the surface carbon species dissolved into the bulk and diffused through the metal particle from the front face (i.e., the metal-gas interface) to the rear face (i.e., the metal-CNT interface), where carbon was deposited in the form of the CNTs [13].…”

Studies of yield and nature of carbon nanostructures synthesized by pyrolysis of ferrocene and hydrogen adsorption studies of carbon nanotubes

“…5 shows catalyst particles inside the tubes and also at the tips. This further shows a similarity with the vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) mechanism, as the catalyst particle seen inside and at the tip of the tube could be the solidiÿed form of the liquid-phase metal particle [23].…”

The role of Ti interlayer in carbon nanotube growth

“…When ternary alloy of Ni-Ti-C was formed at the lower part of Ni particle due to the interdiffusion of Ni, Ti and C, the ternary alloy layer at the bottom of Ni particle would melt due to the lower melting point of the Ni-Ti-C ternary alloy [25]. Although the eutectic temperature of Ni-C is 1327°C, there are many researchers [15,[26][27][28][29][30] report that the Ni catalyst particle had melted or was fluid like during CNTs growth in the temperature of 600-900°C due to the size effect of catalyst at nanometer level and/or the interfacial effect between catalyst and carbon. The eutectic temperature of Ni-Ti-C is 1265-1295°C, lower than 1327°C, hence we think the Ni-Ti-C alloy layer at the bottom of Ni particle can melt due to the same reasons for Ni-C.…”