Abstract Submitted to the    NANOTUBE'04 Conference:

We have developed a novel aerosol method to produce SWCNT’s. The catalyst particles were formed by physical evaporation, subsequent nucleation-condensation of the supersaturated vapour and further introduction of the catalyst particles inside the reactor, where the favourable conditions for the CNT formation were maintained. The experimental investigations of CNT growth were carried out in a laminar flow reactor using Fe as catalyst particle material and both CO and ethanol as carbon sources. The growth of SWCNTs occurred in the temperature interval of 870 to 1500^oC with the corresponding average residence time in the reactor hot zone of 3.7 to 2.4 seconds. The size of catalyst particles varied from 1 to 3 nm, while the corresponding diameter of CNTs varied from 0.6 to 2 nm. The important role of hydrogen in the processes of single walled CNT growth is shown. The distributions of CNT properties, including size, length and their chirality, were determined from HR-TEM images. The results of Computational Fluid Dynamics calculations for CNT growth conditions inside the reactor are presented. The mechanisms of CNT formation in the gas phase are proposed.