Optimization of a bench-scale magnetic induction thermal reactor for carbon nanotube (CNT) production over metal catalysts

• Main Authors: Almario, Jonel E., Faelden, Gregory Grant U., Payumo, Adrian Paul A., Yupangco, Fernando Jose M.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2021
• Subjects: Carbon nanotubes; Chemical vapor deposition; Chemical Engineering
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etdb_chemeng/7; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1006&context=etdb_chemeng
• Institution: De La Salle University

This research focuses on minimizing the cost of manufacturing and operating CCVD reactors for the production of Carbon Nanotubes or CNTs. The highly conductive nature of CNTs at a very small size makes it a potential alternative material in several fields such as electronics the price of it, however, has been preventing commercialization from happening. In addition to that, there is a low supply of CNTs because there are only a few producers, because of the price of the reactors. Minimizing production cost of both the reactor and the CNTs would reduce the market price and could bring in more producers. In order to achieve this, losses were ruled out. Furnaces, which are the primary heating source for the CCVD reactors, are subject to several energy loss in the form of radiation, conduction, and convection among many others (U.S. Department of Energy, 2004). In lieu, magnetic inductors would be used to reduce the energy loss. A mathematical model of the cost of creating the reactor and synthesizing the CNTs were made. The results showed that the optimal dimensions of the reactor subject to the constraints was a length of 91.03 cm, an outer diameter of 18.21 m, and a thickness of 0.15 cm., it was found that the total cost of a reactor of the specified dimension was Php 58577.40. Future studies are recommended to further test the reactor design and determine the performance of the reactor and the quality of the CNTs produced.