Production of graphene and carbon nanotubes using low cost carbon-based raw materials and their utilization in the production of polycarbonate/ethylene methyl acrylate -based nanocomposites

In the earlier studies carbon nanomaterials were synthesized by using cheaper raw materials such as coal, super clean coal, plastics etc. by the authors research group. Presently, carbon nanomaterials such as graphene and carbon nanotubes have been prepared from cheap carbon-based materials such as dry ice and Pongamia oil. The graphene and carbon nanotubes were also synthesized by catalytic reduction of carbon dioxide (dry ice) in the presence of magnesium metal flame and from pongamia oil using chemical vapour deposition setup respectively. The multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were synthesized. The synthesized graphene and MWCNTs were characterized by different characterization techniques such as scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy. Thus, synthesized graphene and MWCNTs have been used as conductive filler in polycarbonate/ethylene methyl acrylate nanocomposites. Different properties i.e. electrical conductivity and electromagnetic inference shielding properties of these nanocomposites have been studied. This study opens new avenues for the fabrication of novel lightweight materials that may be used in communication systems or for other applications such as in the fuel cells, solar cells, supercapacitors, Lithium ion batteries. Several cheaper raw materials have been suggested for the production of CNTs, graphene, carbon nanoparticles, quantum dots etc.