One subject of the invention is a process for obtaining carbon nanotubes (abbreviated to CNTs) on supports, more especially using the CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) method. Another subject of the invention is their applications, in particular for producing composites, and also the uses of these composites.
It is known that carbon nanotubes have been proposed as fillers for reinforcing structures of composites. However, despite the very useful properties of CNTs, most experimental results from their composites have, hitherto, shown a rather mediocre reinforcing effect. The main reasons that may be mentioned include the poor quality of the CNTs used, the deterioration of the properties of the CNTs during their purification, the poor dispersion and/or the destruction of the CNTs during dispersion, the weak interface between the CNTs and the matrices, the difficulty of aligning the CNTs in the matrices and, often, too high a mass fraction of CNTs added.
Composites comprising conventional (microscale) reinforcements that have been developed over a few decades have not had very extensive applications in particular because of the weak interface between the reinforcements and the matrix. The damage mechanism usually observed is lack of cohesion and/or cracking at the interface due to stress concentrations or to stresses caused by the difference in their properties and in their thermal expansion coefficients.
It is often necessary to use a high reinforcement content in order to improve the properties of matrices, which entails many difficulties during processing, during forming, or possibly during machining and recycling of the composites. The applications of these composites are therefore limited owing to their brittleness. In some cases, the thermal and chemical stability of the reinforcements also poses problems in applications at medium and high temperatures and during heat treatments of these composites before they are put into service.
The object of the present invention is to enhance and utilize the reinforcing effects on various scales (nanoscale and microscale) and to activate mechanisms on the nanoscale (for example dislocation pinning, molecular chain immobilization, initiation of microcracks and cavities) and on the microscale (cavitation and crack propagation).
To obtain more satisfactory composites from the requirements standpoint, the inventors have thus developed a technique, using the CVD method, of growing carbon nanotubes that constitute nanoscale reinforcements having optimized morphologies and bonding, on supports corresponding to microscale reinforcements.
This technique makes it possible to modulate, depending on the envisaged application, the density, the length and the attachment of the CNTs to the supports.
The invention therefore provides a process for obtaining carbon nanotubes in situ in nanoscale/microscale supports.
The subject of the invention is also their use for producing composites and the applications of the latter.
According to the invention, the process for obtaining carbon nanotubes by growth, using the CVD method, on nanoscale/microscale supports, is characterized in that it comprises:
According to one method of implementing the invention, the nanotubes are grown using a process characterized in that it also comprises:
The reaction chamber is advantageously a tube furnace with a gas circulation system.
The support material used is chosen from those capable of withstanding the CNT deposition temperature.
Advantageously, they are carbon fibers or a ceramic material preferably in the form of nanoscale/microscale particles or fibers.
As appropriate ceramic materials, the following may be mentioned: carbon fibers; glass fibers; SiC, TiC, Al2O3, SiO2 or B4C particles and fibers; silica fume; clays (clay particles); or wires comprising a metallic material such as Fe, Ni, Co, Ti, Pt, Au, Y, Ru, Rh, Pd, Zr, Cr or Mn.
With materials containing C, Si, Ti, B or Fe in their composition, it is possible to establish a strong bond between the CNTs and the supports by forming C—C, Si—C, Ti—C, B—C and Fe—C bridges.
For applications that require a particularly strong bond, heat treatments in a precise sequence may be applied after the deposition, so as to further consolidate (or strengthen) the adhesion.
The compound as carbon source is advantageously chosen from the following: liquid hydrocarbons of the group comprising xylene, toluene and benzene; or n-pentane; or alcohols, such as ethanol and methanol; or ketones, such as acetone. As a variant, the compound as carbon source is a gaseous hydrocarbon such as acetylene, methane, butane, propylene, ethylene and propene. As another variant, the compound as carbon source is solid, such as for example camphor.
As catalyst, it will be advantageous to have a compound chosen from the group comprising the following: an iron, cobalt or nickel metallocene; or else iron, cobalt or nickel nitrates, acetates or sulfates, especially Fe(II), phthalocyanine (FePc) and iron pentacarbonyl (Fe(CO)5).
Preferably, the catalyst and the compound as carbon source are used in an amount from 0.001 to 0.1 g of catalyst per ml of compound.
The ratio of inert gas to hydrogen is 5/95 to 50/50.
By implementing the above arrangements, it is possible, by controlling the growth of the CNTs on the surface of the ceramic particles and fibers, or carbon fibers, to uniformly cover the ceramic supports and to improve the interfacial properties between the nanotubes and the supports as desired for a given application.
These properties may also be improved by subjecting the support material to a pretreatment step. In particular, the object of the invention is to provide a process for obtaining nanotubes by growth on supports which includes, before said step of heating the support material, the use of a silicon-containing compound under conditions allowing silicon or a silicon derivative, such as SiC, SiO or SiO2, to be deposited on the surface of the supports.
The silicon-containing compound used is for example SiO or a silane, such as SiCl4.
The products obtained are characterized in that they are multiscale composites formed from carbon nanotubes bonded to nanoscale/microscale carbon fiber or ceramic fiber support materials, as defined above.
These multiscale composites constitute reinforcements of great benefit for polymer, ceramic and metal matrices.
The presence of nanoscale reinforcements (of optimized density, length and bonding, depending on the matrices and the properties to be improved) makes it possible:
The subject of the invention is also composites characterized in that they comprise CNTs bonded to nanoscale/microscale supports in a matrix.
The manufacture of the composites is adapted according to the type of matrix.
For composites having a ceramic or brittle matrix, short CNTs of relatively low density must be deposited on the surface of the conventional reinforcements in order to obtain an intimate contact between the surface of the conventional reinforcements and the matrix. This therefore results in mechanical anchoring of the CNTS attached to the surface of the conventional reinforcements.
In the case of composites with a ductile (metal or polymer) matrix, long CNTs of relatively high density must be deposited on the surface of the conventional reinforcements. What is employed is a process of the infiltration type, optionally under pressure (for infiltration of liquid polymers and metals) in order to obtain intimate contact between the surface of the conventional reinforcements and the matrix. Two reinforcement mechanisms are possible. The first involves mechanical anchoring, thanks to the presence of the CNTs having strong bonding between them and the surface, while the second mechanism is the immobilization of the molecular chains in the case of polymeric matrices and the pinning of dislocations in the case of metal matrices and crystallized polymeric matrices. This second mechanism is particularly effective with nanoscale reinforcements. The CNTs obtained according to the invention are therefore particularly appropriate, given that they are conveyed by the conventional reinforcements and well dispersed in the matrices.
Such composites are particularly appropriate in the fields of structural materials, the protection of materials, the functionalization and improvement of surfaces, selective filtration or separation, the manufacture of flat screens and field-emission screens, and for hydrogen storage. Mention may also be made of optical, thermal and stealth applications. It should be noted with interest that the products of the invention are less volatile than the CNTs obtained hitherto, which makes them advantageous with regard to safety regulations.
In general, the multiscale multifunctional composites of the invention can therefore be used in many applications:
The supports covered with carbon nanotubes may furthermore be used as field-emission tips.
The growth of CNTs on supports, as indicated above, for example on fuels or explosive powders, makes it possible to improve these materials or to give them novel properties leading to novel applications.
Other features and advantages of the invention will be given in the following examples that refer to FIGS. 1 to 10, which show SEM micrographs of, respectively:
a: raw SiC particles;
a: SiC particles with a less dense coating of carbon nanotubes;
a: carbon fibers having undergone a pretreatment according to the invention;
a: raw Al2O3 fibers;
a to 5c: SiC fibers with a coating of aligned nanotubes;
a and 6b: SiC fibers with a less dense coating of carbon nanotubes;
a and 7b: carbon fibers coated with short carbon nanotubes;
a and 12b: a clay particle (
The results of experiments carried out as follows are given below:
General Experimental Protocol
The device used comprised:
The smaller-diameter tube was inserted into the larger-diameter tube, thereby allowing it to be cooled by the flow of gas passing through the larger-diameter tube and making it easier to control the flow of the liquid compounds.
The inlets of the two tubes were connected in a zone at a temperature of 150-300° C.
In these experiments, the carbon source consisted of xylene and the catalyst of ferrocene (Fe(C5H5)2).
The ceramic, carbon fiber, SiC, TiC, Al2O3 and SiO2 particles and fibers, silica fume and B4C were placed in a ceramic container, which was then positioned at the center of the quartz tube.
The furnace was then heated up to the growth temperature of 600-1100° C.
During the temperature rise in the furnace, a stream of nitrogen was made to flow through the reactor at a flow rate of 100 to 2000 ml/min. When the growth temperature was reached, instead of a stream of nitrogen an N2/H2 gas mixture was used, with a 10/1 ratio and a flow rate of up to 1650 ml/min.
A mixture of ferrocene in xylene, in an amount of 0.001-0.1 g of ferrocene per ml of xylene, was injected at a flow rate of 0.02-0.3 ml/min.
The growth time was generally a few tens of minutes, depending on the density and the length of the nanotubes desired, especially 10 to 30 minutes.
The above cycle could be followed by heat sequences in order to improve, if desired, the adhesion between the nanotubes and the supports.
The furnace was then cooled down to room temperature, under a 500 ml/min stream of nitrogen, and the product recovered from the reactor.
Pretreatment of Carbon Fibers with SiO
Before the carbon source was introduced, the support material was treated at a high temperature with SiO in the following manner:
Commercial SiO powder was introduced into a ceramic container. The carbon source product was then placed on the SiO powder. The furnace was heated up to a temperature of 1150° C. in a stream of nitrogen (500 sccm) and maintained at this temperature for 6 h.
Nanotubes on the Surface of SiC Particles
a shows a micrograph of the SiC particles used in the process of the invention. These particles had a diameter of about 10 μm and an irregular shape, mostly with one or more plane surfaces. The SiC powder was placed on a flat ceramic container with a thickness of about 0.5 mm. After the carbon nanotubes had been grown on their surface, the SiC powder became black and the particles formed flakes that could be easily removed from the ceramic container, thereby demonstrating that the carbon nanotubes grow uniformly at the surface of all the SiC particles.
The SEM observation confirmed these results.
b is an SEM micrograph at low magnification of a product obtained according to the invention, with a growth time of 25 min.
Practically all the SiC particles are densely coated with carbon nanotubes. The length of the carbon nanotubes depends on the growth time. 10-20 μm nanotubes were obtained with a growth time of 25 min.
c and 1d show micrographs zooming in on one particle. It may be seen that the carbon nanotubes are aligned and perpendicular to the upper flat surface. On other surfaces, the nanotubes do not appear to be aligned and their density is also lower. This demonstrates that the growth of the carbon nanotubes on SiC is selective, depending on the various faces of the crystal.
The density and the length of the carbon nanotubes could be controlled by experimental parameters, such as the growth time and the ferrocene content of the xylene solution.
Denser and longer carbon nanotubes are able to be obtained on the surface of SiC particles with longer durations and higher ferrocene contents.
a shows a specimen with a lower density of carbon nanotubes (the growth time was in this case 15 min) and
Nanotubes on the Surface of Carbon Fibers that have Undergone a Pretreatment According to the Invention
The procedure was as indicated in the general conditions given above.
As illustrated in
Observation under TEM (
Nanotubes on the Surface of Al2O3 Fibers
a shows a micrograph of Al2O3 fibers before the growth of carbon nanotubes.
These fibers have a diameter of 2-7 μm and a length of 10 μm. SEM examination indicates that their surface is very smooth.
Using the same experimental conditions as with the SiC particles, a dense growth of aligned carbon nanotubes was obtained on the surface of the Al2O3 fibers, as illustrated by
These show a uniform coverage over the entire surface of the Al2O3 fibers with carbon nanotubes, even at the two ends.
The diameter of the carbon nanotubes appears to be lower than in the SiC case.
As illustrated in
Nanotubes on the Surface of SiC Fibers
Continuous NLM-Nicalon fibers with a diameter of about 10 μm were used. These fibers were chopped into shorter fibers and placed in a ceramic container.
It may be seen that the carbon nanotubes are aligned and cover a large part of the surface of the SiC fibers.
The thickness of the carbon nanotubes is about 15 μm, indicating that the nanotube growth rate was about 0.5 μm/min.
a, b and c are SEM micrographs of SiC fibers with aligned carbon nanotube coatings.
d shows an SEM micrograph indicating that the carbon nanotubes grow perpendicularly from the surface of the SiC fibers and that they have the same length.
It is apparent that few catalyst particles are attached to the root of the nanotubes, indicating that the main mechanism of growth of the nanotubes on the SiC fiber support is of the type in which growth takes place via the end.
It is therefore easy to control the density of the nanotube alignments by regulating the ferrocene content in the xylene solution. It is also easy to adjust the thickness of the coating by changing the growth time.
a to 6f correspond to SEM micrographs of a product for a growth time of 15 min. They show that the surface of the SiC fibers is not completely coated with aligned nanotubes. Thus, in
Examination of
In
Nanotubes on the Surface of Carbon Fibers
A quartz sheet was placed in the middle of the tube, and the carbon fibers placed on said sheet.
Before the reaction solution was injected, the carbon fibers were preheated to a temperature of at least 700° C., in the stream of nitrogen, in order to eliminate any polymer around the fiber.
The solution prepared was injected sequentially into the furnace for all the reaction times, at different injection rates of 0.05 ml/min to 0.2 ml/min, and the temperature of the reaction was maintained at 600-900° C.
a and 7b show the SEM images of nanocomposites consisting of carbon fibers and very short dispersed multi-walled nanotubes, which grew at 700° C. with a growth time of 30 min. The diameter of the carbon fibers before growth of the multi-walled nanotubes by CVD was 7 μm and the diameter of the carbon fibers after growth of the multi-walled nanotubes was 8-8.5 μm, so that the thickness of the region of multi-walled nanotubes surrounding the fiber was around 0.5 to 0.75 μm.
The enlarged view of the nanotubes shows that the majority of the multi-walled nanotubes are upwardly oriented, but they are not vertical (
The length of the multi-walled nanotubes is about 0.2 to 0.7 μm and the outside diameter is about 80-100 nm.
c shows a carbon fiber with a very long coating of nanotubes (its growth temperature was 900° C.). To improve the growth of the nanotubes on carbon fibers, these fibers were subjected to a heat treatment in air and the nanotubes were grown on these treated fibers. As shown in
Nanotubes on Silica Fume Particles
The procedure was as indicated above, using microsilica (silica fume).
Production of CNT/Ceramic/Matrix Composites
Two types of composites were used:
Composites with a matrix made of an Mg alloy and of an Al alloy containing CNT-coated SiCps were also studied.
Nanotubes on a Clay Particle Support
a illustrates the nanotubes deposited on such a support using the procedure according to the invention.
Nanotubes on a Glass Fiber Support
b illustrates such a support with a nanotube coating.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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0400916 | Jan 2004 | FR | national |
0404586 | Apr 2004 | FR | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/FR05/00201 | 1/21/2005 | WO | 1/5/2007 |