Polypropylene as a carbon source for the synthesis of multi-walled carbon nanotubes via catalytic combustion

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were efficiently synthesized by catalytic combustion of polypropylene (PP) using nickel compounds (such as Ni2O3, NiO, Ni(OH)2 and NiCO3 · 2Ni(OH)2) as catalysts in the presence of organic-modified montmorillonite (OMMT) at 630–830 °C. Morphologies of the sample undergoing different combustion times were observed to investigate actual process producing MWCNTs by this method. The obtained MWCNTs were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope and Raman spectroscopy. The yield of MWCNTs was affected by the composition of PP mixtures with OMMT and nickel compounds and the combustion temperature. The proton acidic sites from the degraded OMMT layers due to the Hoffman reaction of the modifiers at high temperature played an important role in the catalytic degradation of PP to supply carbon sources that are easy to be catalyzed by nickel catalyst for the growth of MWCNTs. The XRD measurements demonstrated that the nickel compounds were in situ reduced into the Ni(0) state with the aid of hydrogen gas and/or hydrocarbons in the degradation products of PP, and the Ni(0) was really the active site for the growth of MWCNTs. The combination of nickel compounds with OMMT was a key factor to efficiently synthesize MWCNTs via catalytic combustion of PP.