title: Synthesis of branched, nano channeled, ultrafine and nano carbon tubes from PET wastes using the arc discharge method.
abstract: Upcycling polymer wastes into useful, and valuable carbon based materials, is a challenging process. We report a novel catalyst-free and solvent-free technique for the formation of nano channeled ultrafine carbon tubes (NCUFCTs) and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) wastes, using rotating cathode arc discharge technique. The soot obtain from the anode contains ultrafine and nano-sized solid carbon spheres (SCS) with a mean diameter of 221 nm and 100 nm, respectively, formed at the lower temperature region of the anode where the temperature is approximately 1700°C. The carbon spheres are converted into long "Y" type branched and non-branched NCUFCTs and MWCNTs at higher temperature regions where the temperature is approximately 2600°C, with mean diameters of 364 nm and 95 nm, respectively. Soot deposited on the cathode is composed of MWCNTs with a mean diameter of 20 nm and other nanoparticles. The tubular structures present in the anode are longer, bent and often coiled with lesser graphitization compared to the nanotubes in the soot on the cathode.
authors: Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Joseph Berkmans
authors: Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Jagannatham
authors: Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, MS Ramaiah Institute of Technology, Bangalore 560054, Karnataka, India.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Priyanka
authors: Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036, Tamil Nadu, India. Electronic address: prathap@iitm.ac.in.
authors: Prathap
authors: P
authors: Haridoss
mesh_terms: D002244:Carbon / Q000737:chemistry; D054118:Nanospheres / Q000737:chemistry*; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry*; D011093:Polyethylene Terephthalates; D059027:Recycling / Q000379:methods*; D012037:Refuse Disposal / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D011093:Polyethylene Terephthalates; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D002244:Carbon
keywords: Arc discharge; Carbon tubes; PET; Polymer waste; Solid carbon spheres