Carbon nanotubes-porous ceramic composite by in situ CCVD growth of CNTs

A novel approach towards the formation of Carbon nanotubes-porous alumina ceramic composite was attempted by the application of three different reaction techniques. Porous alumina ceramics having micrometer pore dimensions were developed using the direct foaming technique. NaA zeolites were simultaneously synthesized and coated within the porous ceramics by an in situ hydrothermal process and were subjected to a simple ion exchange reaction for preparing the suitable catalyst material for Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) synthesis. The catalytic chemical vapour deposition (CCVD) technique was used to grow CNTs within the porous ceramics and the effect of growth time on the synthesized CNTs were investigated. Phase compositions of the samples were analysed by X-ray diffractometer (XRD). Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) were used for morphology, surface quality and structural analysis. Crystallinity, defects and yield were studied by Raman spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA).