Patent ID: 6156256
Filing Date: 2000-12-05
Classification: B82Y,D01F,H05K,Y10S

Abstract:
A process for making carbon nanofibers in a reaction vessel comprising the steps of:providing, in a reactor, a first catalyst in the form of solid catalytic particles said first catalyst selected from the group consisting of iron or iron alloys, nickel or nickel alloys, cobalt or cobalt alloys, ferrocene, iron pentacarbonyl, sulfur, hydrogen sulfide, iron sulfide and nickel nitrate;applying a vacuum to the reactor to create a reduced pressure in the reactor;feeding a first mixture of gases including a carbon-based gas into the reactor;providing a microwave energy source to heat the reactor to a reaction temperature and form plasma,forming, from the carbon-based gas, a plasma containing carbon free-radical species; and forming, in the presence of the catalytic particles, which serve to nucleate fibers and cause the beginning of fiber growth, the plasma containing carbon free-radical species into carbon nanofibers, andoptionally feeding a second growth catalyst gas into the reactor to cause the carbon nanofibers to increase diametrically in size.