Progress in Plasma Processing of Materials, 1999

ISBN Print: 1-56700-126-2

EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF THE CARBON ARC FOR FULLERENES SYNTHESIS

DOI: 10.1615/ITPPC-1998.880
pages 601-606

Abstract

In order to optimise the process based on the electric arc for the production of fullerenes, an experimental study using a typical reactor was developed to correlate the arc properties with fullerenes formation. Our working conditions were: helium ambient gas at pressure varying from 30mbar to 600mbar, 1mm and 4mm arc lengths, current intensity 60A to 150A. Emission spectroscopy method based on the use of Swan C2(0,0) rotational system spectra band was carried out to determine the plasma temperature. The influence of self-absorption on intensity distribution in the rotational structure of the d3πg→ a3πu (0,0) C2 band was used for the C2 (a3πu, v = 0) concentration determination in the plasma region. The pressure, and the other parameters (current intensity, electrodes gap length) were optimized with respect both to the anode erosion rate and the weight percentage of toluene extractable fullerenes in the soot.