Bimetallic catalyst for synthesizing quasi-aligned, well-graphitized multiwalled carbon nanotube bundles on a large scale by the catalytic chemical vapor deposition method.

An effective method of growth by catalytic chemical vapor deposition (CCVD) to get a large-scale yield of carbon nanotubes is reported. In this method, acetylene is decomposed catalytically over well-dispersed metal particles (Co-Fe and Co-Ni) embedded in commercially available zeolite at a lower temperature (600-700 degrees C). The two binary-metal catalysts (Co-Fe and Co-Ni) used are compared by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Crucial reaction parameters, such as reaction time, temperature, and the effect of purity of gas to obtain optimum production of the nanotubes, both qualitatively and quantitatively, are also reported.