Recycled Plastics as an Alternative Carbon Nanotubes Source by Chemical Vapor Deposition

In this study, therefore, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were prepared on account of morphology, particle size and thermal properties of CNTs from high-density polyethylene (HDPE) waste and polypropylene (PP) using pyrolysis in the presence of Fe/Mn/Al catalyst. A comparison between the produced CNTs and commercially available CNTs was conducted to analyse if any deviations exist between both products. It was discovered that The commercial CNTs properties have similarities with the MWCNTs produced from plastic wastes. These materials were found to differ in purity with 1% error. The structures and morphologies of these materials are comparable as they were found to be crystalline and they revealed lattice fringes. They differ by the planes in the structural orientation. The MWCNTs synthesized from plastic wastes showed low thermal stability as opposed to the commercial CNTs.