Method and apparatus for producing carbon nanostructures
First Claim
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1. A method for producing carbon nanostructures, the method including:
- (a) producing a collection atmosphere within a collection chamber which defines a collection area above a reactant liquid;
(b) injecting a feed material into the reactant liquid, the feed material comprising a quantity of a first type of hydrocarbon compound;
(c) maintaining the hydrocarbon molecules of the first type of hydrocarbon compound and any reaction products in contact with the reactant liquid for a period of time sufficient to liberate carbon atoms from the hydrocarbon molecules of the first type of hydrocarbon compound or reaction products and place the liberated carbon atoms in an excited state;
(d) enabling the liberated carbon atoms in the excited state to traverse a surface of the reactant liquid and flow through the collection area so that the liberated carbon atoms pass over a collection surface within the collection chamber under conditions in which the liberated carbon atoms are enabled to phase change to the ground state;
(e) collecting carbon nanostructures on the collection surface as the liberated carbon atoms phase change to the ground state at the collection surface;
(f) removing the collection surface from the collection chamber; and
(g) removing carbon nanostructures from the collection surface after the collection surface is removed from the collection chamber.
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Abstract
A method includes liberating carbon atoms from hydrocarbon molecules by reaction with or in a reactant liquid and maintaining the liberated carbon atoms in an excited state. The chemically excited liberated carbon atoms are then enabled to traverse a surface of the reactant liquid and are directed across a collection surface. The collection surface and the conditions at and around the collection surface are maintained so that the liberated carbon atoms in the excited state phase change to a ground state by carbon nanostructure self-assembly.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method for producing carbon nanostructures, the method including:
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(a) producing a collection atmosphere within a collection chamber which defines a collection area above a reactant liquid; (b) injecting a feed material into the reactant liquid, the feed material comprising a quantity of a first type of hydrocarbon compound; (c) maintaining the hydrocarbon molecules of the first type of hydrocarbon compound and any reaction products in contact with the reactant liquid for a period of time sufficient to liberate carbon atoms from the hydrocarbon molecules of the first type of hydrocarbon compound or reaction products and place the liberated carbon atoms in an excited state; (d) enabling the liberated carbon atoms in the excited state to traverse a surface of the reactant liquid and flow through the collection area so that the liberated carbon atoms pass over a collection surface within the collection chamber under conditions in which the liberated carbon atoms are enabled to phase change to the ground state; (e) collecting carbon nanostructures on the collection surface as the liberated carbon atoms phase change to the ground state at the collection surface; (f) removing the collection surface from the collection chamber; and (g) removing carbon nanostructures from the collection surface after the collection surface is removed from the collection chamber. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for producing carbon nanostructures, the method including:
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(a) liberating carbon atoms from hydrocarbon molecules by reduction reaction with a reactant liquid and maintaining the liberated carbon atoms in an excited state; and (b) enabling the liberated carbon atoms in the excited state to traverse a surface of the reactant liquid into a collection chamber which defines a volume above the reactant liquid; (c) directing the liberated carbon atoms in the excited state across a collection surface within the collection chamber under collection conditions at which the liberated carbon atoms in the excited state phase change to a ground state by carbon nanostructure self-assembly; (d) collecting carbon nanostructures on the collection surface as the liberated carbon atoms phase change to the ground state by carbon nanostructure self-assembly; (e) removing the collection surface from the collection chamber; and (f) removing carbon nanostructures from the collection surface after the collection surface is removed from the collection chamber. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. An apparatus including:
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(a) a reactant liquid vessel for containing a reactant liquid at a reactant liquid level; (b) a collection chamber defined by collection chamber walls and positioned to receive effluent escaping from the reactant liquid in the reactant liquid vessel; (c) an injection arrangement for injecting a stream of feed material into the reactant liquid vessel at an injection point below the reactant liquid level and laterally spaced apart from the collection chamber; (d) an elongated reaction chamber defining a flow path for feed material and reaction products from the injection point to a location below the collection chamber; and (e) a number of collection structures mounted in the collection chamber, each collection structure providing a respective collection surface within the collection chamber, the collection surfaces residing at a position above the reactant liquid level in the collection chamber and being separate from the collection chamber walls. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification