Purification of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is a looooong process and you lose a lot of material. The CNTs that we synthesized on June 13th are finally through the purification process. When we first retrieved the CNTs from the reactor, we collected 76.2 mg and called them sample DOE-01-180613.
After the first round of a hydrochloric acid wash, water wash, and freeze drying, the sample weighed 65.5 mg. And, each of these processes takes an entire day.
Then we put the sample in the furnace for air oxidation. The furnace heats up to 450 degrees Celsius, and the sample stays in for 12 hours. Another day… After air oxidation, the sample weighed 40.4 mg.
We then went through another round of acid wash, water wash, and freeze drying. Today, we can call these CNTs purified! And, they now weigh a grand total of 22.8 mg. From 76.2 to 22.8 mg means that there was a lot of iron and amorphous carbon in our CNTs.
All in all, it took us 8 days to purify sample DOE-01-180613. The next step will help us figure out the aspect ratio of these CNTs; we’ll use extensional rheology and a look through the transmission electron microscope to find out if we have have quality CNTs. Two new tools to learn!
Sarah, I know how you feel on working on procedures that would take a long time. Some of mine take a good week.
Its crazy because we usually tell our students that scientists take a long time to do an experiment and it takes a lot of repetition to be able to be successful and we are getting to experience that.
Mariana, good point! I need to remember that most labs don’t take place in a class period! 🙂
I really liked your lab the most on the tour. Everyone worked in cool labs, but yours was a definite place of total experimentation! I wasn’t expecting to see a loom or a sewing machine. I can’t wait to hear what’s new with the CNTs you’ve made and purified.