SBIR Phase II: Commercial Combustion Synthesis of Homogeneous Lots of Carbon Nanotubes

这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第二阶段项目旨在实现一个试点工厂示范的技术和商业可行性的成本和能源效率的天然气大规模转化为单壁碳纳米管（SWCNT）。 研究将包括：（1）在将催化剂前体与冷气体混合物一起引入后，通过天然气的预混合燃烧来放热和选择性合成SWCNT;（2）通过袋式过滤器连续收集材料;以及（3）详细了解操作条件之间的相关性（压力、催化剂类型、燃料-氧气比、用惰性气体稀释、冷气体速度）和碳纳米管的特性（单壁、双壁或多壁、直径、长度、导电性）。该项目的结果预计将对美国纳米技术部门的发展产生重大影响，并加强其国际竞争力。不超过50美元/克的预计销售价格将导致经济上可行的单壁碳纳米管应用数量的显著增加。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project is designed to achieve a pilot-plant demonstration of the technical and commercial feasibility of cost- and energy-efficient large-scale conversion of natural gas to single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT). The research will include: (1) exothermic and selective synthesis of SWCNT by premixed combustion of natural gas after introduction of catalyst precursors with the cold gas mixture; (2) continuous collection of material by means of a bag-house filter; and, (3) detailed understanding of the correlations between operating conditions (pressure, type of catalyst, fuel-oxygen ratio, dilution with inert gas, cold gas velocity) and characteristics of the carbon nanotubes (single-, double-, or multi-walled, diameter, length, conductivity). Results of this project are expected to have a significant impact on the development of the US nanotechnology sector and to strengthen its international competitiveness. Projected sales price of not more than $50/g will lead to a pronounced increase of the number of economically viable SWCNT applications.