Maximization of Carbon Nanohorns Production via the Arc Discharge Method for Hydrotreating Application

Abstract

The submerged arc in liquid nitrogen method was used to produce carbon nanohorns (CNH) for hydrotreating application. In this paper the effects of current, time and system design modification were investigated to maximize CNH production. A current setting of 90 A was found to be the best condition for CNH production. Additionally, CNH production was impacted by processing time and design setup used in synthesizing the samples. For each batch, 0.12 g of CNH was obtained for 30 mins of processing time. The properties of CNH were evaluated using Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) method, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), Raman Spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD). BET results revealed mesoporous pore diameters for all pristine CNH samples under the different current (50–100 A) settings. Dahlia-like and budlike structures with aggregate diameters ranging from ~50–110 nm were observed in the TEM images. Although current and processing times were found to be two crucial parameters affecting the yield of CNH production, the entire equipment design was a major key factor in improving the yield by being capable of retaining more CNH particles during production.