Patent ID: 7008605

Claim:
A non-catalytic process for the production of carbon nanotubes, which process comprises: providing a first carbon rod composed of amorphous carbon to serve as a carbon anode and a second carbon rod to serve as a carbon cathode, the first carbon rod and the second carbon rod each having first and second ends; securely positioning the first carbon rod and the second carbon rod in the open atmosphere so that a gap is maintained between about 0.5 mm and about 1.5 mm while carbon is vaporized from the first end of the first carbon rod and carbonaceous residue is deposited on the first end of the second carbon rod supplying electric current to the first and second carbon rods so that an electric arc is created between the first end of the first carbon rod and the first end of the second carbon rod, thereby vaporizing carbon from the first end of the first carbon rod and depositing a carbonaceous residue on the first end of the second carbon rod; pumping an inert gas into the gap to flush out oxygen of the open atmosphere from the gap, thereby preventing oxygen from interfering with the vaporizing of the carbon from the first end of the first carbon rod and preventing oxidation of the carbonaceous residue being deposited on the first end of the second carbon rod; cooling the first and second carbon rods while electric current is being supplied to the first and second rods to create the electric arc; terminating the supplying of electric current to the first and second carbon rods and removing the carbonaceous residue from the first end of the second carbon rod; and purifying the carbonaceous reside to yield carbon nanotubes.