In this study, a new method of rapid preparation of carbon nanotube (CNT) solution with highly dispersed morphology by free arc excitation is proposed, which shortens the time of the preparation of CNT solution with low concentration. The principle is that the high-energy flow density heat generated by the free arc makes the vaporizable substance coated on the surface of CNTs vaporize rapidly, and then generates the bulk increasing motion, which makes the CNTs aggregates dispersed, and finally forms the CNTs gas-phase dispersion monomer with high dispersion or the cross-linking morphology of few CNTs. In this paper, the influence of gum Arabic (GA) and deionized water (DI water) contents in CNTs mixed electrode on the dispersion of CNTs in different environments (gas phase and liquid phase) is explored. In the limited case of this work, the dispersion effect is better when the mass ratio of CNTs, GA and DI water is 1:0.04:3.96 in the liquid-phase environment. The preparation method reported in this work is expected to be a rapid way to obtain low-concentration nanodispersion.

    Abstract
    1 Introduction
    2 Experimental
        2.1 Materials
        2.2 Methods and equipment
        2.3 Dispersion process
        2.4 Characterization of the effect of free arc on GA and CNTs
        2.5 Characterization of dispersion effect of carbon nanotubes
    3 Results and discussion
        3.1 Raman and infrared spectroscopy
        3.2 SEM analysis
        3.3 Image method analysis
    4 Conclusion
    Acknowledgements 
    References

• Shaolong Li(Qingdao University of Science and Technology)
• Youdong Ci(Qingdao University of Science and Technology)
• Da Zhang(Qingdao University of Science and Technology)
• Chuanqi Zhang(Qingdao University of Science and Technology)
• Yan He(Qingdao University of Science and Technology)