This study is performed to fabricate a Ti porous body by freeze drying process using titanium hydride (TiH2) powder and camphene. Then, the Ti porous body is employed to synthesize carbon nanotubes (CNTs) using thermal catalytic chemical vapor deposition (CCVD) with Fe catalyst and methane (CH4) gas to increase the specific surface area. The synthesized Ti porous body has 100 μm-sized macropores and 10-30 μm-sized micropores. The synthesized CNTs have random directions and are entangled with adjacent CNTs. The CNTs have a bamboo-like structure, and their average diameter is about 50 nm. The Fe nano-particles observed at the tip of the CNTs indicate that the tip growth model is applicable. The specific surface area of the CNT-coated Ti porous body is about 20 times larger than that of the raw Ti porous body. These CNT-coated Ti porous bodies are expected to be used as filters or catalyst supports.
In this study, titanium(Ti) meshes and porous bodies are employed to synthesize carbon nanotubes(CNTs) using methane(CH4) gas and camphene solution, respectively, by chemical vapor deposition. Camphene is impregnated into Ti porous bodies prior to heating in a furnace. Various microscopic and spectroscopic techniques are utilized to analyze CNTs. It is found that CNTs are more densely and homogeneously populated on the camphene impregnated Ti-porous bodies as compared to CNTs synthesized with methane on Ti-porous bodies. It is elucidated that, when synthesized with methane, few CNTs are formed inside of Ti porous bodies due to methane supply limited by internal structures of Ti porous bodies. Ti-meshes and porous bodies are found to be multi-walled with high degree of structural disorders. These CNTs are expected to be utilized as catalyst supports in catalytic filters and purification systems.