Parametric study for the growth of carbon nanotubes by catalytic chemical vapor deposition in a fluidized bed reactor

Abstract Multiwalled carbon nanotubes have been produced from H 2 –C 2 H 4 mixtures on Fe–SiO 2 catalysts by a fluidized bed catalytic chemical vapor deposition process. Various parameters such as the catalyst preparation, the residence time, the run duration, the temperature, the H 2 :C 2 H 4 ratio, the amount of metal deposited on the support have been examined. The influence of these parameters on the deposited carbon yield is reported, together with observations of the produced material. This process allows an homogeneously distributed deposition of nanotubes (10–20 nm diameter), that remain anchored to the support.