Aligned multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) were synthesized through the catalytic decomposition of hydrocarbons in a quartz tube reactor. In this study, we investigated the influence of gas flow rate of feedstock on the structure and growth rate of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes produced by the floating catalyst method. As the flow rate of feedstock increased, the nanotube diameter became smaller and the length became longer. Although the growth rate also increased with the raise of flow rate, the optimum flow rate of feedstock existed for the crystallinity of carbon nanotubes.

Although the structure of carbon nanotubes is important factor characterizing its properties, it is very difficult to control the structure of carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) and to predict the range of their diameter, which is the primary factor of MWNTs' physical properties. We tried to control the diameter of MWNTsby governing the feed injection temperature of floating catalyst method. The structure of MWNTs was influenced by the phase change of ferrocene fed as the catalyst,. The carbon nanotubes were very narrow at injection temperatures close to the sublimation pt. of ferrocene, in which most MWNTs had diameters in the range of 20~30 nm. At injection temperatures between the boiling pt. and melting pt. of ferrocene, the diameters became larger and had broad distribution. However, at injection temperatures higher than the boiling pt., the diameters became narrow again and had very uniform distribution.

Aligned multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) were synthesized through the catalytic decomposition of hydrocarbons in a quartz tube reactor. In this study, we investigated the influence of reaction parameters such as gas flow rate, ferrocene-xylene ratio and partial pressure, and reaction time on the yield and structure of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes produced by the floating catalyst method. The MWNTs produced had diameters in the range of 20~l00 nm, length around 100μm and bulk density about 0.51g/cm3 at a pressure of l0000 psi. It was possible to produce MWNTs with much faster growth rate of 12μm/min than that reported previously by the increase of ferrocene-xylene partial pressure.