Carbon Nanotube Synthesis and Dispersion Using Arc Discharge in Foam Made with a Surfactant

Abstract

For the production of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), the underwater arc-discharge method, in comparison to the vacuum arc-discharge method, has some drawbacks, including weak discharge intensity, low discharge sustainability, and low production volumes of CNTs. Likewise, despite its advantages, there are also some disadvantages to the use of arc discharges in foams, as these require additional distillation processes to eliminate foam after CNT production. This study, therefore, investigates an alternative method, replacing conventional foams used as discharge environments with foam made from the surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). Our results indicate that by using an arc discharge in a 0.03% SDS solution, we succeeded in producing aggregated CNTs, and the synthesized CNTs had high linearity and crystallinity. Furthermore, dispersion of the CNTs produced by arc discharge in the surfactant foam was facilitated by ultrasonic processing. [DOI: 10.1380/ejssnt.2018.382]