Production apparatus for carbon nanotubes, feed unit for being part of production apparatus, and production method for carbon nanotubes

Abstract

The invention shows a production apparatus for producing carbon nanotubes by the gas-phase catalysis process, comprising: a first chamber having a growth region that is a region in which carbon nanotubes are formed; a first temperature adjustment device capable of adjusting a temperature of the growth region in the first chamber; a pressure adjustment device capable of adjusting a pressure in the first chamber; a first feed device capable of feeding a carbon source to the growth region in the first chamber; a second temperature adjustment device capable of adjusting a temperature of a solid-phase iron family element-containing material disposed in the production apparatus; and a second feed device capable of feeding a gas-phase halogen-containing substance into the production apparatus so that the iron family element-containing material of which the temperature is adjusted to a predetermined temperature by the second temperature adjustment device can react with the halogen-containing substance.

1 . A production apparatus for producing carbon nanotubes by a gas-phase catalysis process, comprising:
 a first chamber having a growth region that is a region in which carbon nanotubes are formed;   a first temperature adjustment device capable of adjusting a temperature of the growth region in the first chamber;   a pressure adjustment device capable of adjusting a pressure in the first chamber;   a first feed device capable of feeding a carbon source to the growth region in the first chamber;   a second temperature adjustment device capable of adjusting a temperature of a solid-phase iron family element-containing material disposed in the production apparatus; and   a second feed device capable of feeding a gas-phase halogen-containing substance into the production apparatus so that the iron family element-containing material of which the temperature is adjusted to a predetermined temperature by the second temperature adjustment device can react with the halogen-containing substance.   
     
     
         2 . The production apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein a substrate is disposed in the growth region to allow the carbon nanotubes to be formed in an array-like form on a base surface of the substrate. 
     
     
         3 . The production apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the carbon nanotubes can be formed by a gas-phase flow reaction in the growth region. 
     
     
         4 . The production apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a second chamber in which the iron family element-containing material can be accommodated and of which inside communicates with inside of the first chamber,
 wherein the second feed device can feed the halogen-containing substance into the second chamber.   
     
     
         5 . The production apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a second chamber capable of accommodating the iron family element-containing material; and   a third feed device capable of feeding a gas-phase substance existing in the second chamber into the first chamber,   wherein the second feed device can feed the halogen-containing substance into the second chamber.   
     
     
         6 . The production apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the iron family element-containing material is disposed in the first chamber. 
     
     
         7 . A feed unit for a gas-phase catalyst, the feed unit being to be part of a production apparatus for producing carbon nanotubes by a gas-phase catalysis process, the feed unit comprising:
 a feed unit chamber capable of accommodating a solid-phase iron family element-containing material;   a feed unit temperature adjustment device capable of adjusting a temperature of the iron family element-containing material in the feed unit chamber;   a halogen-containing substance feed device capable of feeding a halogen-containing substance into the feed unit chamber; and   a discharge device capable of discharging the gas-phase catalyst existing in the feed unit chamber outside the feed unit chamber.   
     
     
         8 . A production method for carbon nanotubes, the production method using the feed unit according to  claim 7  to obtain the carbon nanotubes formed in an array-like form on a base surface of a substrate. 
     
     
         9 . A production method for carbon nanotubes, the production method using the feed unit according to  claim 7  to obtain the carbon nanotubes as a generated substance by a gas-phase flow reaction. 
     
     
         10 . A production method for carbon nanotubes, comprising:
 a first step of feeding a gas-phase catalyst into a first chamber, the gas-phase catalyst including a substance obtained by reacting a solid-phase iron family element-containing material and a gas-phase halogen-containing substance with each other; and   a second step of foaming the carbon nanotubes from a carbon source fed into the first chamber using a catalyst generated based on the gas-phase catalyst existing in the first chamber.   
     
     
         11 . The production method according to  claim 10 , wherein:
 the first step includes allowing a substrate disposed in the first chamber to exist in an atmosphere including the gas-phase catalyst; and   the second step includes forming the carbon nanotubes in an array-like form on a base surface of the substrate.   
     
     
         12 . The production method according to  claim 11 , wherein the carbon source is fed into the first chamber in a state in which the gas-phase catalyst exists in the first chamber via the first step. 
     
     
         13 . The production method according to  claim 11 , wherein a temperature of the substrate in the first step is lower than a temperature of the substrate in the second step. 
     
     
         14 . The production method according to  claim 10 , wherein the carbon nanotubes are formed as a generated substance by a gas-phase flow reaction. 
     
     
         15 . The production method according to  claim 10 , wherein an iron family element contained in the iron family element-containing material includes iron. 
     
     
         16 . The production method according to  claim 10 , wherein the first step includes performing a reaction to obtain the gas-phase catalyst outside the first chamber, and the gas-phase catalyst is fed into the first chamber from outside of the first chamber.