Preparation and Characterization of Carbon Nanofibers and its Composites by Chemical Vapor Deposition

Hydrocarbon gas or carbon monoxide was pyrolyzed by chemical vapor deposition (CVD), and carbon nanofiber (CNF) synthesis was performed using transition metals such as Ni, Fe, and Co as catalysts. When synthesizing carbon nanofibers using the CVD method, experimental variables are temperature, catalysts, source gas, etc. Especially, the particle size of the catalyst is the most important factor in determining the diameter of carbon nanofibers. Hydrocarbon gases, such as CH4, C2H4, benzene, and toluene are used as the carbon source, and in addition to these reaction gases, nonreactive gases such as H2, Ar, and N2 gases are used for transportation. Synthesis occurs at a synthesis temperature of 600–900°C, and catalyst metals such as Ni, Co, and Fe are definitely required when synthesizing CNFs. Therefore, it is possible to synthesize CNFs in selective areas through selective deposition of such catalyst metals. In this study, CNFs were synthesized by CVD. Ethylene gas was employed as the carbon source for synthesis of CNFs with H2 as the promoting gas and N2 as the balancing gas. Synthesized CNFs can be used in various applications, such as composite materials, electromagnetic wave shielding materials, ultrathin display devices, carbon semiconductors, and anode materials of Li secondary batteries. In particular, there is an increasing demand for light-weight, small-scale, and high-capacity batteries for portable electronic devices, such as notebook computers or smartphones along with the recent issue of fossil energy depletion. Accordingly, CNFs and their silicon-series composites are receiving attention for use as anode materials for lithium secondary batteries that are eco-friendly, light weight, and high capacity.