Apparatus and method for producing aligned carbon-nanotube aggregates

Abstract

An apparatus of the present invention for producing an aligned carbon-nanotube aggregate is an apparatus for producing an aligned carbon-nanotube aggregate by synthesizing the aligned carbon-nanotube aggregate on a base material having a catalyst on a surface thereof, the apparatus including: a formation unit that processes a formation step of causing an environment surrounding the catalyst to be an environment of a reducing gas and heating at least either the catalyst or the reducing gas; a growth unit that processes a growth step of synthesizing the aligned carbon-nanotube aggregate by causing the environment surrounding the catalyst to be an environment of a raw material gas and by heating at least either the catalyst or the raw material gas; and a transfer unit that transfers the base material at least from the formation unit to the growth unit. Thus provided is a production apparatus and a production method that are capable of improving efficiency in the production of aligned CNT aggregates by preventing a decrease in production volume and deterioration in quality of aligned CNT aggregates in serial production and by making it easy to increase the size of the apparatus.

1 . An apparatus for producing an aligned carbon-nanotube aggregate by synthesizing the aligned carbon-nanotube aggregate on a base material having a catalyst on a surface thereof, the apparatus comprising:
 a formation unit that processes a formation step of causing an environment surrounding the catalyst to be an environment of a reducing gas and heating at least either the catalyst or the reducing gas;   a growth unit that processes a growth step of synthesizing the aligned carbon-nanotube aggregate by causing the environment surrounding the catalyst to be an environment of a raw material gas and by heating at least either the catalyst or the raw material gas; and   a transfer unit that transfers the base material at least from the formation unit to the growth unit,   the units having their respective furnace spaces spatially connected via a connecting section,   the apparatus further comprising means to prevent gas mixing to prevent gas from a furnace space from mixing with gas from another furnace space.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the means to prevent gas mixing is means that keeps a concentration of carbon atoms in the environment of the reducing gas in the formation unit smaller than or equal to 5×10 22  atoms/m 3 . 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein at least one of those components of the apparatus which are exposed to either the reducing gas or the raw material gas is composed of a heat-resistant alloy. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the growth unit includes a section to add a catalyst activation material. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising a cooling unit. 
     
     
         6 . An apparatus for producing an aligned carbon-nanotube aggregate by synthesizing the aligned carbon-nanotube aggregate on a base material having a catalyst on a surface thereof, the apparatus comprising:
 a formation unit that processes a formation step of causing an environment surrounding the catalyst to be an environment of a reducing gas and heating at least either the catalyst or the reducing gas;   a growth unit that processes a growth step of synthesizing the aligned carbon-nanotube aggregate by causing the environment surrounding the catalyst to be an environment of a raw material gas and by heating at least either the catalyst or the raw material gas;   a transfer unit that transfers the base material at least from the formation unit to the growth unit, and   a section to add a catalyst activation material, the section being a section for either adding a catalyst activation material into the raw material gas, or adding a catalyst activation material directly to the environment surrounding the catalyst inside of the growth furnace.   
     
     
         7 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising an inlet purge section for preventing the outside air from flowing into a furnace of the apparatus through a base-material inlet. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising an outlet purge section for preventing the outside air from flowing into a furnace of the apparatus through a base-material outlet.