Towards a better understanding of FC-CVD carbon nanotube synthesis

碳纳米管(CNTs)因其独特的电学、热学和力学性能而成为一种令人兴奋的材料。用于碳纳米管合成的浮动催化剂化学气相沉积(FC-CVD)工艺允许连续生产碳纳米管气凝胶。这些气凝胶可以直接从反应器中收集，作为纤维和垫子用于一系列应用。自2004年在剑桥发明以来，FC-CVD过程得到了深入的研究，在理解该过程背后的物理机制方面取得了突破。这些研究依赖于提取测量，但这种技术的局限性给我们对这一过程的理解留下了盲点。我的目标是开发一种光学透明的FC-CVD反应堆，能够对这一过程进行原位拉曼、FTIR和其他测量。这将允许对FC-CVD生长过程进行更详细的研究，特别是关于无法使用提取技术测量的短寿命自由基物种的性质。该项目牢牢地围绕着EPSRC的能源和脱碳以及工程主题展开。碳纳米管是人类可以制造的前沿领域，因为它们具有特殊的材料特性，这些特性赋予了碳纳米管释放新的技术和工程能力的潜力。然而，在FC-CVD反应器中合成碳纳米管的过程还没有被完全了解，这使得该过程很难扩大到工业规模，同时提供商业成功所需的效率。通过提高我们对碳纳米管合成的FC-CVD工艺的理解，我的目标是能够设计出更高效的反应堆。此外，我们的工艺将甲烷转化为固体碳(CNTs)和氢气，后者可用于工业流程和清洁能源等应用。这一过程的二氧化碳浓度比蒸汽甲烷重整低得多，蒸汽甲烷重整是当今最常见的制氢方法。

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are an exciting material due to their exception electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties. The floating catalyst chemical vapour deposition (FC-CVD) process for CNT synthesis allows the continuous production of CNT aerogels. These aerogels can be collected directly from the reactor as fibres and mats for use in a range of applications. Since its invention in Cambridge in 2004, the FC-CVD process has been intensively researched leading to breakthroughs in understanding of the physical mechanisms underlying the process. These studies have relied on extractive measurements, but the limitations of such techniques leave blind spots in our understanding of the process. I aim to develop an optically transparent FC-CVD reactor capable of performing in-situ Raman, FTIR and other measurements of the process. This will allow a more detailed study of the FC-CVD growth process, especially regarding the nature of short-lived radical species that cannot be measured using extractive techniques. This project sits firmly within the EPSRC's themes of energy and decarbonisation, and engineering. Carbon nanotubes are the frontier of what humans can make in terms of their exceptional material properties, these properties give CNTs the potential to unlock new technological and engineering capabilities. However, the synthesis of CNTs in FC-CVD reactors is not fully understood, making it difficult to scale the process up to industrial scales while providing the efficiency needed for commercial success. By improving our understanding of the FC-CVD process for CNT synthesis, I aim to enable the design of more efficient reactors. Additionally, our process converts methane into solid carbon (CNTs) and hydrogen, the latter can then be used in applications such as industrial processes and clean energy. This process has a much lower CO2 intensity than steam methane reforming, the most common method of hydrogen production today.