Method for growing carbon nanotubes on clay platelets
A hybrid carbon nanotube and clay nanofiller is produced by a freeze-drying process performed on clay platelets, and carbon nanotubes grown on the clay platelets using a chemical vapor deposition process.
1. A method for growing carbon nanotubes on clay platelets comprising:
mixing clay with Fe(NO 3 ) 3 in a solution;
freeze drying the solution thereby increasing surface area of the clay platelets; and
growing carbon nanotuhes on the freeze-dried clay platelets.
2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the freeze-drying process removes solvent and water from the solution.
3. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the carbon nanotuhes are grown on the clay platelets using a chemical vapor deposition process.
4. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the carbon nanotuhes are single-wall carbon nanotubes.
5. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the carbon nanotubes are multi-wall carbon nanotuhes.
6. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the mixing step promotes an ion exchange between Na + and Fe 3+ .
7. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the solution comprises 25% ethanol in water.
8. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the freeze drying of the solution further separates the clay platelets to increase the surface area.
9. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the freeze drying of the solution orients the clay platelets edge-to-edge and edge-to-face with each other thereby forming pores.
10. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the mixing the clay with the Fe(NO 3 ) 3 in the solution is performed with a machine producing a high shear force mixing of the solution.
11. A method for growing carbon nanotubes on clay platelets comprising:
mixing clay with metal salts or compounds in a solution;
freeze drying the solution thereby increasing surface area of the clay platelets; and
growing carbon nanotubes on the freeze-dried clay platelets.
12. The method as recited in claim 11 , wherein after freeze-drying, the clay platelets are discretely distributed or delaminated.
13. The method as recited in claim 11 , wherein the carbon nanotubes are grown on the clay platelets using a chemical vapor deposition process.
14. The method as recited in claim 11 , wherein the carbon nanotubes are single-wall carbon nanotubes.
15. The method as recited in claim 11 , wherein the carbon nanotubes are multi-wall carbon nanotubes.
16. The method as recited in claim 11 , wherein the mixing step promotes an ion exchange between Na + and Ni 3+ .
17. The method as recited in claim 11 , wherein the freeze drying of the solution further separates the clay platelets to increase the surface area.
18. The method as recited in claim 11 , wherein the freeze drying of the solution orients the clay platelets edge-to-edge and edge-to-face with each other thereby forming pores.
19. The method as recited in claim 11 , wherein the mixing the clay with the metal salts or compounds in the solution is performed with a machine producing a high shear force mixing of the solution.
20. A method for growing carbon nanotubes on clay platelets comprising:
mixing clay with Fe(NO 3 ) 3 in a solution;
freeze drying the solution thereby increasing a surface area of the clay platelets; and
growing carbon nanotubes on the freeze-dried clay platelets, wherein the mixing step promotes an ion exchange between Na + and Co 2+ .
21. The method as recited in claim 20 , wherein the mixing the clay with the Fe(NO 3 ) 3 in the solution is performed with a machine producing a high shear force mixing of the solution.