K. Konno, K. Onoe and T. Yamaguchi, “Production of Carbon Nanotubes from Methane by Microwave Plasma—Examination of Nickel Catalysis,” Proceeding of 10th Asia Pacific Confederation of Chemical Engineering, Kitakyusyu, 17-21 October 2004, pp. 705-714.

has been cited by the following article:

• TITLE: Direct Preparation of Hydrogen and Carbon Nanotubes by Microwave Plasma Decomposition of Methane over Fe/Si Activated by Biased Hydrogen Plasma

  AUTHORS: Katsuya Konno, Kaoru Onoe, Yasuyuki Takiguchi, Tatsuaki Yamaguchi

  KEYWORDS: Hydrogen; Methane Decomposition; Carbon Nanotubes; Microwave Plasma; Methane; H2 Plasma Treatment

  JOURNAL NAME: Green and Sustainable Chemistry, Vol.3 No.1, February 26, 2013

  ABSTRACT: Methane was decomposed to hydrogen and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by microwave plasma, using Fe/Si catalyst activated by biased (—150 V) hydrogen plasma for various treatment times. Upon exposure to biased hydrogen plasma, the catalyst surface becomes lumpy within 1 min, coheres between 5 and 10 min and forms particles after 20 min. The methane conversion increased up to 93% over the treatment time of 5 min. The hydrogen yield showed as similar tendency as the methane conversion and kept 83% at treatment time of 5 min. The treatment time up to 1 min increased the amount of deposited carbon, and after treatment time of 5 min it dropped; then again after treatment time of 20 min, it increased to reach a maximum value of 22 gc/gcat. Deposited carbon was found to be consisted of carbon nanotubes. It grew vertically on the catalyst surface and reached a maximum length of 30.7 nm after treatment time of 10 min. Multiple types of CNTs were present, and the CNT diameters decreased with increasing plasma treatment time.