Quantitative evaluation of nanotube content in the raw material produced by arc discharge

Vittoria Contini (1) , Maria Rita Mancini (1) , Renzo Marazzi (1) , Daniele Mirabile Gattia (1) , Marco Vittori Antisari (2)

1 Materials
2 Materials

The amount of carbon nanotube in the raw material grown by electric arc discharge ignited in different liquid environments has been evaluated by the combined use of X-Ray diffraction, electron microscopy and TG-DTA in reactive environment. In particular, X-ray diffraction is used to discriminate among the different carbon microstructures owing to the difference in the lattice parameter between curved and planar graphite structures. The results are repeatable and in good agreement with TG-DTA measurements carried out in reactive environment where the relative amount of carbon nanostructures is evaluated on the basis of the difference in the reaction kinetics with atmospheric oxygen. In the analysed specimens, SEM and TEM show the presence of just two allotropic form of carbon, namely nanotubes and globular particles, which relative amount results to depend on the nature of the liquid surrounding the discharge and on the voltage applied to the electric arc.

Mots clés: Physical Sciences

Vittoria Contini, Maria Rita Mancini, Renzo Marazzi, Daniele Mirabile Gattia, Marco Vittori Antisari. Quantitative evaluation of nanotube content in the raw material produced by arc discharge. Philosophical Magazine, 2007, 87 (07), pp.1123-1137. ⟨10.1080/14786430601080237⟩. ⟨hal-00513805⟩