Contents ists availabe at SciencoDiroct South African Journal of Chemical Engineering = |ChemE ELSEVIER Full factorial design approach to carbon nanotubes oor: synthesis by CVD method in argon environment Ishaq A. Mohammed “”", Mercy T. Bankole “*, Ambali S. Abdulkareem “", Stephen S. Ochigbo ‘, Ayo S. Afolabi “, Oladiran K. Abubakre ‘ + Nanotechnology Group, Centre for Genetic Engineering an Botechlogy (CGEB), Federal University of Technology, Minna, Nigeria Chemical Engineering Department, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Nigeria < chemistry Department, School of Pure Sciences, Federal Univesity of Technelogy, Minna, Nigeria “Department of Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, otswana Intemational University of Science and Technology BIUST), Plt 16072, Buseja Ward, Palapye, Botswana * Mechanical ngineering Department, Federal Univesity of Technology, Minna, Nigeria ‘il history ‘Whereas meeting product quantity and quality are prime intent in process optimization of Received 1 August 2016 materials manufacturing, the application of the more relsbe ful factorial experiment hae Received in revised form not been wellexpleted in optimization studies of Catbon nanotubes {CNT synthesis. In 9 February 2017 this study, statistical fll factorial design of experiment was explored in the parametric [Accepted 5 June 2017 studies of CNTs synthesis via aetylene-chemicsl vapour deposition (CVD). Bimetlic —______________fre-co) catalyst suppored on caco, war employed for the synthesis of GNTS. The oywords dependence of CIT yield on the growth time (4/60 mis), growth temperature (700/ Cptimization 750), acetylene lowe rate (150/80 ml/min), and argon flow rate (730/290 milmin) was ull factorial design investigated in the 2 factorial design of experiment. The growth temperatute and acety Carbon nanotubes lene flowrate were found to have the most significant effects on the yield of CNTs, nd (Chemical vapour deposition ‘maximum yield of 170% was obtained at growth conditions of 60 mis, 700°C, 190 min acetylene flow rat, and 230 mlimin argon flow rate, Since acetylene undergoes palymer ination or dissolution during non-catalyzed thermal decorapesiton, che significant effects af temperature and acetylene flow rate a illustrated bythe factorial analysis suggests that the selective ability of the Fe-ca/Gaco, catalyst towards GNTS growth in the thermal decomposition of acetylene in CVD wat mainly thermedynamicr-controlled, Character lation of CNTs samples synthesized at diferent conditions shows that higheetyeld conditions do not guarantee best quality properties, (©2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier BV. on behalf of Institution of Chemical Eng neers. This ie an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND licence (h// creativecommens orgficenses/oy-nc-nd/4 0), 1. Introduction Different methods of producing CNTs include arc discharge, laser ablation, electrolysis, sono-chemical (or hydrothermal) Extensive research on the synthesis, characterization and and various forme of chemical vapour deposition (CVD) applications of caroon nanotubes (CNTs) have been con- methods (Pracek otal, 2017} But, the thermal CVD process ducted in the past twenty years (Shah and Tali, 2005). has been widely used because it c simple, inexpensive and ~ Govzesponding author. Chemics! Engineering Department, Feceral University of Technology, Minna, Nigeria, E-mail addres: ichemsofi@gmailcom (LA. Mohammed), Aupsféxdoiory/10 1016) sajce 2027 06.00. 13025-9285/6 201) The Avthors, Palched by Elzevier LV. on behalf of institution of Chemical Engineers, Tie fe an open acceseaicle under the CC BY-NC-ND license {hiip:/seativecommens orghicensesfby-ne-na 4.0