Production of Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes (SWNT) by Catalytic Disproportionation of CO in a Continuous Fluidized Bed System Phase II

The overall goal of SouthWest Nanotechnologies (SWeNT) is the development of superior technology for the large-scale manufacturing and marketing of nanotubes of unique quality for near-term specialty applications. The Phase I of this SBIR focused in demonstrating that SWeNT's process can be scaled-up to a continuous-mode operation. In the commercialization aspects, the company focused on developing strong partnerships with companies such as Dupont, ChevronPhillips, General Electric, Applied Nanotechnologies Inc., and Nomadics, who will use nanotubes for their end-products. The low operating costs and scalability of the SWeNT's process, coupled with its versatility for producing nanotubes with tailored structure are attractive characteristics that may make this technology the preferred mode of nanotube production. The expertise developed at SWeNT may position the company in a leading role in the field of nanotube-based materials. To consolidate the technology and boost the commercialization of SWeNT's products, phase 2 includes the expansion of the nanotube production capabilities and the development of applications to take advantage of the uniqueness of the SWeNT's process for tailoring nanotubes for each specific application. The targeted applications are directly relevant to NASA's stated goals and include structural and conducting composites, fuel cells, microelectronic parts, and field emission devices.