RF plasma method for production of single walled carbon nanotubes

1. A method of selectively producing single wailed carbon nanotubes to the substantial exclusion of multi-wailed carbon nanotubes, comprising introducing a mixture of carbonaceous material comprising a solid hydrocarbon and a catalyst comprising at least one transition metal into a reaction zone that is maintained under reduced atmospheric pressure and in a non-oxidizing condition suitable to form single walled carbon nanotubes when subjected to heat, subiecting said reaction zone containing said carbonaceous material and said catalyst to heat generated by an RF induction system external of said reaction zone so as to produce plasma in said reaction zone thereby vaporizing said carbonaceous material and said catalyst and forming single wailed carbon nanotubes, causing said single wailed carbon nanotubes to leave said reaction zone, and collecting said single wailed carbon nanotubes, wherein said solid hydrocarbon is coal.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said carbonaceous material and said catalyst are introduced into said reaction zone in the form of a fluidized stream of particles.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein said fluidized stream of particles is flowed into said reaction zone at a flow rate within the range of from about 1 to about 500 grams per minute.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein said particles in said fluidized stream have a particle size within the range of from about 1 to about 150 microns.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said non-oxidizing condition is maintained by flowing an inert gas through said reaction zone at a flow rate within the range of from about 0.1 to about 10 liters per minute per cm 2 of reaction zone.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said reduced atmospheric pressure is within the range of from about 50 to about 750 torr.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the temperature within said heated reaction zone is maintained within the range of from about 2,000 to about 10,000° C.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said RF induction system develops a plasma power density within the range of from about 0.2 to about 5 kw/cm 3 .

9. A method of selectively producing single walled carbon nanotubes to the substantial exclusion of multi-walled carbon nanotubes, comprising introducing a mixture of carbonaceous material comprising a solid hydrocarbon and a catalyst comprising at least one transition metal into a reaction zone that is maintained under reduced atmospheric pressure and in a non-oxidizing condition suitable to form single walled carbon nanotubes when subjected to heat, subjecting said reaction zone containing said carbonaceous material and said catalyst to heat generated by an RF induction system external of said reaction zone so as to produce plasma in said reaction zone thereby vaporizing said carbonaceous material and said catalyst and forming single walled carbon nanotubes, causing said single walled carbon nanotubes to leave said reaction zone, and collecting said single walled carbon nanotubes, wherein said carbonaceous material and said catalyst are introduced into said reaction zone in the form of a fluidized stream of particles which is flowed upwardly into said reaction zone thereby controlling the residence time of said particles in said reaction zone.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein said solid hydrocarbon is coal.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein said transition metal is selected from the group consisting of nickel, cobalt, iron and mixtures or alloys thereof.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein said transition metal is selected from the group consisting of nickel, cobalt, iron and mixtures or alloys thereof.

13. A method of selectively producing single walled carbon nanotubes to the substantial exclusion of multi-walled carbon nanotubes, comprising introducing a mixture of carbonaceous material comprising a solid hydrocarbon and a catalyst comprising at least one transition metal into a reaction zone that is maintained under reduced atmospheric pressure and in a non-oxidizing condition suitable to form single walled carbon nanotubes when subjected to heat, subjecting said reaction zone containing said carbonaceous material and said catalyst to heat generated by an RF induction system external of said reaction zone so as to produce plasma in said reaction zone thereby vaporizing said carbonaceous material and said catalyst and forming single walled carbon nanotubes, causing said single walled carbon nanotubes to leave said reaction zone, and collecting said single walled carbon nanotubes, wherein said transition metal is selected from the group consisting of nickel, cobalt, iron and mixtures or alloys thereof.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein said catalyst is present in said mixture in an amount within the range of from about 0.5 to about 30 weight percent.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein said solid hydrocarbon is coal.