Patent ID: 7960440

Claim:
A method for manufacturing a carbon nanomaterial dispersion, comprising; (i) providing a carbon nanomaterial comprising a plurality of multi-walled, graphitic carbon nanospheres having an aspect ratio of less than about 3:1 and optionally an irregular surface with surface defects, wherein the plurality of carbon nanospheres are at least partially agglomerated into a plurality of clusters of carbon nanospheres wherein the carbon nanospheres are manufactured by: forming a precursor mixture comprising a carbon precursor and a plurality of templating nanoparticles and polymerizing the carbon precursor, the templating nanoparticles comprising a catalytic metal; carbonizing the precursor mixture to form an intermediate carbon material comprising a plurality of carbon nanostructures, amorphous carbon, and optionally remaining catalytic metal; and purifying the intermediate carbon material by removing at least a portion of the amorphous carbon and optionally a portion of any remaining catalytic metal, thereby yielding a carbon nanomaterial comprising a plurality of carbon nanostructures; (ii) providing an organic solvent comprised of a plurality of organic molecules that each include at least one heteroatom; and (iii) mixing the carbon nanomaterial with the solvent to form a mixture and ultrasonicating the mixture to at least partially disrupt the agglomeration of the carbon nanospheres to yield carbon nanospheres suspended in the organic solvent.