ELECTROLYTIC PRODUCTION OF CARBON NANOTUBES

A new method for low-cost, high-yield production of carbon nanotubes has been
developed. The technique can also produce carbon nanotubes filled with metals such
as tin. It is envisaged that the electrochemical method could readily be scaled up (by
using a multi-electrode cell with planar graphite electrodes) to produce more than
600 kg/day of carbon nanotubes, far more than is possible with current commercial
methods.

Key advantages of the new method:

• Cost reduction to around $10/kg compared with current values between $1000
and $12000/kg
• 1000x increase in production rate of carbon nanotubes and prolonged
production activity compared with the commonly used catalytic route
• Significant capacity enhancement of lithium-ion batteries using anodes made
from tin-filled carbon nanotubes compared with standard graphite anodes

For further information please contact:

Dr Maggie Wilkinson
margaret.wilkinson@enterprise.cam.ac.uk
 +44 (0)1223 760339
Cambridge Enterprise Limited, University of Cambridge
Hauser Forum, 3 Charles Babbage Road, Cambridge CB3 0GT, UK
www.enterprise.cam.ac.uk

Case Ref: Fra-1167-03

Background It has also been shown that doping the lithium
chloride electrolyte with tin chloride can produce
Carbon nanotubes are in increasing demand for carbon nanotubes containing relatively large
electrical, mechanical and medical applications, quantities of tin. When these tin-filled carbon
due to their unique combination of physical and nanotubes are used to make the anode in a
chemical properties. However current production lithium ion battery, experiments have shown that
methods for carbon nanotubes suffer from poor the battery capacity after many cycles of charge
efficiency, throughput and yield, in addition to and recharge, is significantly greater than that of a
requiring sophisticated equipment and highly standard Lithium-ion battery with a standard
skilled operators. The methods are often carbon nanotube anode (figure 2).
hazardous in nature and difficult to scale up,
resulting in global production of carbon nanotubes
of only a few hundred tonnes/year.
Technology
In the new electrochemical process for making
carbon nanotubes, two graphite electrodes are
immersed in a molten alkali chloride salt
(figure 1(a)). A power supply is connected to the
electrodes such that one of the electrodes is at a
cathodic potential relative to the other electrode.
The power supply is periodically “switched” to
reverse the polarity of the voltages on the Figure 2: Variation of capacity of a lithium-ion battery with
electrodes, ensuring that each electrode is almost the number of recharging cycles. The battery anode was
entirely consumed to produce carbon nanotubes constructed from tin-filled carbon nanotubes made using the
(figure 1(b)). new electrolytic process.

About the Inventors

+/- +/- Professor Derek Fray and Dr Carsten Schwandt
developed this technology in the Department of
Materials Science and Metallurgy at the University
LiCl of Cambridge. Professor Fray is a world leader in
electrochemistry and has over 140 patents to his
name. He has been involved in multiple start-ups
Li(graphite) = Li based on his inventions at Cambridge University.
Commercialisation
(a) (b)
We are seeking commercial partners for
Figure 1: The new electrochemical process collaboration, development and licensing of this
(a) Schematic diagram of the cell for fabrication of carbon
technology, which is protected by regional patent
nanotubes (b) Scanning electron microscope image showing applications in the US and Europe.
that the graphite electrodes are almost entirely converted to
In particular we are keen to further refine the
carbon nanotubes in the new process.
battery data and explore bulk applications of this
technology.

Fra-1167-03