Vertically aligned carbon nanotubes synthesized from waste cooking palm oil

• Main Authors: Md Nor, R. (Author), Rusop, M. (Author), Suriani, A.B (Author)
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ceramic Society of Japan 2010
• Subjects: Carbon nanotubes; Catalysts; Chemical vapor deposition; Cooking palm oil; Deposition; Energy dispersive x-ray; Field emission; Field emission microscopes; Field emission scanning electron microscopy; Flat panel displays; Green starting material; Maximum current density; Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCN); Nanotubes; Oil shale; Oils and fats; Palm oil; Scanning electron microscopy; Synthesis conditions; Thermal chemical vapor deposition; Thermogravimetric analysis; Vapor deposition; Vertically aligned carbon nanotube; Waste cooking palm oil; Yarn
• Online Access: View Fulltext in Publisher; View in Scopus

 For the first time, vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNT) were produced using waste cooking palm oil as green starting materials. The synthesis was carried out in a floating-catalyst thermal chemical vapor deposition reactor. Field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray, micro-Raman and thermogravimetric analyses, showed that the carbon nanotubes are of excellent quality, comparable to those obtained using conventional carbon sources. Under a typical synthesis condition of 5.33wt% ferrocence as catalyst and a furnace temperature of 750°C, a mixture of single and multi-walled carbon nanotubes of 85% purity, vertically aligned on a silicon substrate, were produced. Field emission from the VACNT indicated reasonable turnon field at 2.25 V/μm which corresponded to the current density of 10μA/cm 2. The threshold field was observed to be about 3.00 V/μm at 1 mA/cm2. The maximum current density of 6mA/cm2 measured was obtained for 4V/μm. It is concluded that the VACNT from the reuse of waste material are suitable for applications in flat panel displays and flat lamps. © 2010 The Ceramic Society of Japan. All rights reserved.