Method and system for using silicon-containing additives to produce carbon particles - Patents.com

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a method and system for improving the yield of carbon particles from a carbon particle generating reactor. The method and system may include using a silicon-containing additive in the process of generating carbon particles. A method for generating carbon particles includes: (a) providing a silicon-containing additive and a carbonaceous material to a reactor, the silicon-containing additive being provided to the reactor at a ratio of the silicon-containing additive to the carbonaceous material, the ratio being equal to or less than about 0.1 by weight; and (b) contacting the carbonaceous material with the silicon-containing additive in the reactor to generate carbon particles.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] cross reference This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 298,912, filed January 12, 2022, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 350,801, filed June 9, 2022, each of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein. [Background technology]

[0002] background Carbonaceous materials or hydrogen can be produced by a variety of chemical processes, the performance, energy supply and environmental performance associated with such chemical processes have evolved over time. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0003] overview 1. A method for generating carbon particles, comprising: (a) providing a silicon-containing additive and a carbonaceous material to a reactor, wherein the silicon-containing additive is provided to the reactor in a ratio of silicon-containing additive to carbonaceous material that is less than or equal to about 0.1 by weight; and (b) contacting the carbonaceous material with the silicon-containing additive in the reactor to generate carbon particles.

[0004] In some embodiments, the carbon particles include at least one silicon core modified with carbon. In some embodiments, in (a), the ratio of the silicon-containing additive to the carbonaceous material is equal to or less than about 0.01 by weight. In some embodiments, in (a), the ratio of the silicon-containing additive to the carbonaceous material is equal to or less than about 0.001 by weight. In some embodiments, (b) includes reacting the carbonaceous material with the silicon-containing additive to generate a plurality of carbon particles. In some embodiments, after (b), an amount equal to or less than about 5% by weight of the carbonaceous material is present as wall fouling in the reactor. In some embodiments, the ratio of the silicon-containing additive to the carbonaceous material in the carbon particles is substantially the same as the ratio of the silicon-containing additive to the carbonaceous material in the wall fouling of the reactor. In some embodiments, more than about 90% of the carbonaceous material is converted to carbon particles, based on the weight percent of carbon. In some embodiments, (b) includes (i) heating a thermal transfer gas, and (ii) contacting the heat transfer gas with a carbonaceous material and a silicon-containing additive to generate carbon particles. In some embodiments, the silicon-containing additive includes one or more of a siloxane, a polysiloxane, a silane, and a silica. In some embodiments, the silicon-containing additive includes a siloxane, and the siloxane is hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO) or decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D5). In some embodiments, the silicon-containing additive includes one or more particles. In some embodiments, the silicon-containing additive includes one or more nanoparticles. In some embodiments, the carbonaceous material includes at least about 70% by weight of methane, ethane, propane, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the carbonaceous material includes one or more linear hydrocarbons, one or more aromatic hydrocarbons, one or more unsaturated hydrocarbons, one or more oxygenated hydrocarbons, or any combination thereof.In some embodiments, the carbonaceous material comprises methane, ethane, propane, butane, benzene, toluene, xylene, methylnaphthalene, naphthalene, pyrolysis fuel oil, coal tar, coal, heavy oil, oil, bio-oil, biodiesel, other biologically derived hydrocarbons, ethylene, acetylene, butadiene, styrene, ethanol, methanol, propanol, phenol, ketones, ethers, esters, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the method further comprises reacting the carbonaceous material with a silicon-containing additive in the presence of a plasma. In some embodiments, the generating of carbon particles is carried out at a carbon particle generation rate of at least about 600 kilograms per hour (kg / hr). In some embodiments, the energy used to generate the carbon particles is reduced by at least about 5% compared to a method without the addition of a silicon-containing additive.

[0005] 1. A method for generating carbon particles comprising: (a) providing a silicon-containing additive and a carbonaceous material to a reactor; and (b) decomposing the carbonaceous material in the presence of a plasma and the silicon-containing additive in the reactor to form carbon particles.

[0006] In some embodiments, the decomposing step is performed at a temperature equal to or less than about 2100° C. In some embodiments, the decomposing step is performed at a temperature equal to or less than about 1900° C. In some embodiments, the decomposing step is performed at a temperature equal to or less than about 1700° C. In some embodiments, the decomposing step is performed at a temperature between about 1500° C. and 2100° C. In some embodiments, the decomposing step is performed at a temperature between about 1550° C. and 1850° C. In some embodiments, the decomposing step is performed at a temperature between about 1600° C. and 1750° C. In some embodiments, the temperature is at least about 50 degrees Celsius lower than the temperature of the method without the silicon-containing additive. In some embodiments, the temperature is a calculated temperature. In some embodiments, (a) includes providing a silicon-containing additive in the heat transfer gas. In some embodiments, the heat transfer gas includes at least about 60% hydrogen. In some embodiments, (a) includes providing a silicon-containing additive in a material stream including a carbonaceous material. In some embodiments, the silicon-containing additive comprises one or more of siloxane, polysiloxane, silane, and silica. In some embodiments, the silicon-containing additive comprises a siloxane, and the siloxane is hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO) or decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D5). In some embodiments, the silicon-containing additive comprises one or more particles. In some embodiments, the silicon-containing additive comprises one or more nanoparticles. In some embodiments, the carbonaceous material comprises at least about 70% by weight of methane, ethane, propane, or a mixture thereof. In some embodiments, the carbonaceous material comprises one or more simple hydrocarbons, one or more aromatic hydrocarbons, one or more unsaturated hydrocarbons, one or more oxygenated hydrocarbons, or any combination thereof.In some embodiments, the carbonaceous material comprises methane, ethane, propane, butane, benzene, toluene, xylene, methylnaphthalene, pyrolysis fuel oil, coal tar, coal, heavy oil, oil, bio-oil, biodiesel, other biologically derived hydrocarbons, ethylene, acetylene, butadiene, styrene, ethanol, methanol, propanol, phenol, ketones, ethers, esters, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, (b) comprises decomposing the carbonaceous material in the presence of the plasma and the silicon-containing additive to generate a plurality of carbon particles. In some embodiments, an amount of the carbonaceous material equal to or less than about 5% by weight is present in the reactor as wall fouling in the reactor. In some embodiments, the ratio of the silicon-containing additive to the carbonaceous material in the carbon particles is substantially the same as the ratio of the silicon-containing additive to the carbonaceous material in the wall fouling of the reactor.

[0007] A method for generating carbon particles, comprising: (a) providing a silicon-containing additive and a carbonaceous material to a reactor; (b) reacting the carbonaceous material and the silicon-containing additive in the reactor to generate a nucleate, the nucleate comprising at least one silicon core; and (c) growing carbon particles on the nucleate. In some embodiments, in (a), the ratio of the silicon-containing additive to the carbonaceous material is equal to or less than about 0.1 by weight. In some embodiments, in (a), the ratio of the silicon-containing additive to the carbonaceous material is equal to or less than about 0.01 by weight. In some embodiments, in (a), the ratio of the silicon-containing additive to the carbonaceous material is equal to or less than about 0.001 by weight. In some embodiments, (c) further comprises growing a plurality of carbon particles on the nucleate. In some embodiments, the silicon-containing additive comprises one or more of a siloxane, a polysiloxane, a silane, and a silica. In some embodiments, the silicon-containing additive comprises a siloxane, and the siloxane is hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO) or decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D5). In some embodiments, the silicon-containing additive comprises one or more particles. In some embodiments, the silicon-containing additive comprises one or more nanoparticles. In some embodiments, the carbonaceous material comprises at least about 70% by weight of methane, ethane, propane, or mixtures thereof. In some embodiments, the carbonaceous material comprises one or more simple hydrocarbons, one or more aromatic feedstocks, one or more unsaturated hydrocarbons, one or more oxygenated hydrocarbons, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the carbonaceous material comprises methane, ethane, propane, butane, benzene, toluene, xylene, methylnaphthalene, pyrolysis fuel oil, coal tar, coal, heavy oil, oil, bio-oil, biodiesel, other biologically derived hydrocarbons, ethylene, acetylene, butadiene, styrene, ethanol, methanol, propanol, phenol, ketones, ethers, esters, or any combination thereof.In some embodiments, (b) comprises generating a plurality of nuclei comprising silicon cores, and (c) comprises growing a plurality of carbon particles on the plurality of nuclei. In some embodiments, an amount equal to or less than about 5% by weight of the carbonaceous material is present in the reactor as wall fouling in the reactor. In some embodiments, the ratio of silicon-containing additive to carbonaceous material in the carbon particles is substantially the same as the ratio of silicon-containing additive to carbonaceous material in the reactor wall fouling. In some embodiments, (b) is performed in the presence of a plasma. In some embodiments, (c) is performed in the presence of a plasma.

[0008] Applicants have realized various benefits of the methods and systems of the present disclosure. For example, the use of silicon-containing additives can reduce the temperature of the reactor used to generate the carbon particles. The reduced temperature can result in various benefits, such as reduced reactor or electrode wear, extended run time, improved reactor uptime and efficiency, etc. These benefits can be realized without substantial changes to the properties of the carbon particles. For example, the carbon particles can maintain their surface area and density while the process used to generate the particles can be carried out at a lower temperature. In another aspect, the present disclosure provides carbon particles comprising structures, wherein an ash comprising structures produced from the carbon particles via ASTM D1506 has an average particle size of at least about 100 square meters (m) per gram. 2 The carbon particles have a surface area of ​​100 nm / g.

[0009] In some embodiments, the structure provides a surface area. In some embodiments, the carbon particles are carbon black. In some embodiments, the structure comprises silicon.

[0010] In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a carbon-containing particle comprising a non-carbon portion, the non-carbon portion having an average particle size of at least about 100 square meters (m) per gram. 2 The carbon-containing particles have a surface area of ​​100 nm / g.

[0011] In some embodiments, the non-carbon portion comprises silicon. In some embodiments, the non-carbon portion comprises at least about 50% silicon. In some embodiments, the surface area of ​​the non-carbon portion is determined via ashing by ASTM D1506. In some embodiments, the carbon-containing particles are carbon black. In some embodiments, the non-carbon portion comprises up to about 15 percent by weight of the carbon particles. In some embodiments, the carbon particles have a lattice constant (L c ).

[0012] In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a method for producing a carbon particle containing structure, the carbon particle containing structure ash produced via ASTM D1506 having a molecular weight of up to about 100 kilograms per cubic meter (kg / m 3 ) of the pour density.

[0013] In some embodiments, the structure provides a surface area. In some embodiments, the carbon particles are carbon black. In some embodiments, the structure comprises silicon.

[0014] In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a carbon-containing particle comprising a non-carbon portion, the non-carbon portion having a carbon content of up to about 100 kilograms per cubic meter (kg / m 3 ) an implantation density of carbon-containing particles.

[0015] In some embodiments, the non-carbon portion comprises silicon. In some embodiments, the non-carbon portion comprises at least about 50% silicon. In some embodiments, the surface area of ​​the non-carbon portion is determined via ashing by ASTM D1506. In some embodiments, the carbon-containing particles are carbon black. In some embodiments, the non-carbon portion comprises up to about 15 percent by weight of the carbon particles. In some embodiments, the carbon particles have a lattice constant (L c In some embodiments, the method is performed in an environment that is substantially free of oxygen. In some embodiments, the method is performed in an environment that does not contain detectable oxygen.

[0016] Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a system including one or more computer processors and a computer memory coupled thereto, the computer memory including machine-executable code that, when executed by the one or more computer processors, implements any of the methods described above or elsewhere herein.

[0017] Further aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which shows and describes only illustrative embodiments of the disclosure. As will be understood, the present disclosure is capable of other and different embodiments, and its several details are capable of modification in various obvious respects, all without departing from the present disclosure. Accordingly, the drawings and description should be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not restrictive.

[0018] Incorporation by Reference All publications, patents, and patent applications mentioned in this specification are incorporated herein by reference as if each individual publication, patent, or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference. In the event that the publications and patents or patent applications incorporated by reference conflict with the disclosure contained in this specification, it is intended that the specification supersede and / or take precedence over any such conflicting material.

[0019] The novel features of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. A better understanding of the features and advantages of the present invention will be obtained by reference to the following detailed description that sets forth illustrative embodiments, in which the principles of the invention are utilized, and the accompanying drawings (also referred to herein as "figures"), in which: [Brief description of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of an exemplary method for generating carbon particles according to some embodiments.

[0021] [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of an exemplary method for generating carbon particles according to some embodiments.

[0022] [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of an exemplary method for generating carbon particles according to some embodiments.

[0023] [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an exemplary plot of the residual amount of methane present in the gas output of a reactor according to some embodiments.

[0024] [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is an exemplary plot of solid carbon (eg, carbon particles) yield from a reactor without and with the addition of a silicon-containing additive, according to some embodiments.

[0025] [Figure 6] FIG. 6 shows an example of a comparison plot between the products of a reaction generating carbon particles with and without the addition of a silicon-containing additive, according to some embodiments.

[0026] [Figure 7] FIG. 7 illustrates a computer system that is programmed or otherwise configured to implement the methods provided herein.

[0027] [Figure 8] FIG. 8 shows a set of conditions for exemplary large and small scale reactors according to some embodiments.

[0028] [Figure 9] FIG. 9 illustrates an example of a plasma reactor according to some embodiments.

[0029] [Figure 10] FIG. 10 provides an example of carbon particle production with and without a silicon-containing additive, according to some embodiments.

[0030] [Figure 11] FIG. 11 shows an example of an additive addition scheme, according to some embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0031] Detailed Description While various embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described herein, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that such embodiments are provided by way of example only. Numerous modifications, changes, and substitutions may occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the invention. It is understood that various alternatives may be used to the embodiments of the present invention described herein.

[0032] Whenever the terms "at least," "greater than," or "equal to or greater than" precede or follow the first number in a series of two or more numbers, the terms "at least," "greater than," or "or greater than" apply to each and every number in the series. For example, equal to or greater than 1, 2, or 3 is equivalent to equal to or greater than 1, equal to or greater than 2, or equal to or greater than 3.

[0033] Whenever the terms "less than or equal to," "less than," or "equal to or less than" appear after the first number in a series of two or more numbers, the terms "less than or equal to," "less than," or "or less than" apply to each of the numbers in the series. For example, less than or equal to 3, 2, or 1 is equivalent to less than or equal to 3, less than or equal to 2, or less than or equal to 1.

[0034] Certain embodiments of the invention herein contemplate numerical ranges. When a range exists, the range includes the range endpoints. In addition, all subranges and values ​​within the range exist as if they were explicitly written out. The term "about" or "approximately" can mean within an acceptable error range for a particular value, which error range is determined in part by how the value is measured or determined, for example, by the limitations of the measurement system. For example, "about" can mean within 1 or more than 1 standard deviation, according to the practice in the art. Alternatively, "about" can mean within 20%, 10%, 5%, or 1% of a given value. When a particular value is described in the present application and claims, the meaning of the term "about" can be assumed within an acceptable error range for that particular value, unless otherwise stated.

[0035] As used herein, the term "carbon particles" can refer to particles that contain carbon. Examples of carbon particles include, but are not limited to, carbon black, coke, needle coke, graphite, macrocyclic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, activated carbon, and the like, or any combination thereof. Carbon particles can be classified into grades. The carbon particles of the present disclosure can be of any grade.

[0036] Although the method and system of the present disclosure are described herein with respect to silicon-containing additives, they can also be used with derivatives of silicon-containing additives. Thus, the terms silicon-containing additives and their derivatives can be interchangeable. For example, the silicon-containing additives can decompose into radical derivatives, which can react with carbonaceous materials. In this example, the silicon-containing additives can decompose at a faster rate than the carbonaceous materials, and therefore the carbonaceous materials can react with the decomposed derivatives of the silicon-containing additives. The derivatives can include silicon or silicon oxide radicals.

[0037] The disclosed methods and systems may be carried out in an environment that is free of oxygen. For example, the amount of oxygen in the disclosed reactor may be below the detection limit of the detector. In some cases, the disclosed methods and systems may be carried out in an environment that is substantially free of oxygen. For example, the environment may have trace amounts of oxygen (e.g., about 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0.5, 0.1, 0.05, 0.01, 0.005, 0.001, 0.0005, 0.0001, or less mole percent oxygen). The oxygen may be present as diatomic oxygen, oxygen radicals, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, etc., or any combination thereof. The disclosed methods and systems may convert carbonaceous materials via pyrolysis (e.g., breaking down hydrocarbons to form polycyclic aromatic rings of carbon that can then nucleate and precipitate from the gas phase to form solid particles). The pyrolytic conversion may not require the use of oxygen (e.g., oxygen may not be a reagent in the pyrolysis of carbonaceous materials).

[0038] In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a method for generating carbon particles. A silicon-containing additive and a carbonaceous material can be provided to a reactor. The silicon-containing additive can be provided to the reactor at a ratio of silicon-containing additive to carbonaceous material. The ratio can be equal to or less than about 0.1 by weight. In the reactor, the carbonaceous material and the silicon-containing additive can react to generate carbon particles.

[0039] 1 is a flow diagram of an exemplary method 100 for generating carbon particles, according to some embodiments. In operation 110, the method 100 may include providing a silicon-containing additive and a carbonaceous material to a reactor. The silicon-containing additive may be provided to the reactor in a ratio, which may be at least about 0.000001, 0.000005, 0.00001, 0.00005, 0.0001, 0.0002, 0.0003, 0.0004, 0.0005, 0.0006, 0.0007, 0.0008, 0.0009, 0.001, 0.0015, 0.002, 0.003, 0.004, 0.005, 0.01, 0.05, 0.1, 0.5, 1, or more by weight. The ratio may be up to about 1, 0.5, 0.1, 0.05, 0.01, 0.005, 0.004, 0.003, 0.002, 0.0015, 0.001, 0.0009, 0.0008, 0.0007, 0.0006, 0.0005, 0.0004, 0.0003, 0.0002, 0.0001, 0.00005, 0.00001, 0.000005, 0.000001, or less by weight. The ratio may be a range defined by any two of the aforementioned values. For example, the ratio may be about 0.0002 to about 0.1 by weight. In another example, the ratio may be about 0.0004 to about 0.0015.

[0040] The silicon-containing additive may include a siloxane. The siloxane may include a silicon-oxygen-silicon bonding scheme. For example, the siloxane may include a pair of silicon atoms bonded by a single oxygen atom. The siloxane may include additional functional groups bonded to the silicon atom. Examples of functional groups include, but are not limited to, alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, other hydrocarbons (e.g., aromatic rings, etc.), alcohols, thiols, amines, ethers, carboxylic acids, thioesters, amides, esters, aldehydes, ketones, halides, and the like. For example, the siloxane may include hexamethyldixiloxane (e.g., a siloxane with multiple methyl groups bonded to silicon). In some cases, the silicon-containing additive may include multiple silicon and oxygen atoms (e.g., polysiloxanes). Examples of polysiloxanes include, but are not limited to, cyclic polysiloxanes (e.g., hexamethylcyclotrisiloxane, octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane, decamethylcyclopentasiloxane, dodecamethylcyclohexasiloxane, etc.), linear polysiloxanes (e.g., octamethyltrisiloxane, decamethyltetrasiloxane, dodecamethylpentasiloxane, tetradecamethylhexasiloxane, polydimethylsiloxane, etc.), silazanes (e.g., hexamethyldisilazane, etc.), silicones (e.g., functionalized polysiloxanes), other functionalized siloxanes, etc., or any combination thereof. In some cases, the silicon-containing additive comprises a silane (e.g., one or more silicon atoms bonded to one or more non-alkane (e.g., hydrogen) functional groups). In some cases, the silicon-containing additive may comprise silica (e.g., silicon-oxygen compounds).

[0041] The silicon-containing additive may include one or more particles. For example, the silicon-containing additive may include one or more particles that include silicon. The one or more particles may include microparticles (e.g., particles having a dimension greater than about 1,000 micrometers (μm)), microparticles (e.g., particles having a dimension between about 1 and about 1,000 μm), nanoparticles (e.g., particles having a dimension less than about 1 μm), etc., or any combination thereof. Smaller particles may have a more rapid reaction rate (e.g., react more quickly and / or react at a lower temperature) because the surface area to volume ratio of smaller particles is greater compared to larger particles. By adjusting the particle size and / or composition, the reaction rate and resulting product can be adjusted, and by varying the composition and morphology of the silicon-containing additive, it is possible to produce different grades and sizes in the same equipment.

[0042] The carbonaceous material has the formula C n H x or C n H x O y(n is an integer, x is (i) between 1 and 2n+2 or (ii) less than 1 (e.g., for coal, coal tar, pyrolysis fuel oil, etc.), and y is between 0 and n). Examples of carbonaceous materials can include, but are not limited to, straight chain hydrocarbons (e.g., methane, ethane, propane, butane, etc.), cyclic hydrocarbons (e.g., cyclopropane, cyclobutene, cyclopentane, cyclohexane, etc.), aromatic hydrocarbons (e.g., benzene, toluene, xylene, naphthalene, methylnaphthalene, pyrolysis fuel oil, coal tar, coal, heavy fuel oil, oil, bio-oil, biodiesel, other biologically derived hydrocarbons, etc.), unsaturated hydrocarbons (e.g., ethylene, propylene, acetylene, butadiene, styrene, etc.), oxygenated hydrocarbons (e.g., alcohols, ethanol, propanol, phenols, ketones, esters, ethers, carboxylic acids, anhydrides, etc.), and the like, or any combination thereof. The carbonaceous material can include a plurality of different carbonaceous materials. The carbonaceous material may include at least about 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 or more different carbonaceous materials. The carbonaceous material may include up to about 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, or 1 different carbonaceous materials. The carbonaceous material may include at least about 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 99.9 or more weight percent of a single carbonaceous material mentioned above. The carbonaceous material may include up to about 99.9, 98, 97, 96, 95, 90, 85, 80, 75, 70, 65, 60, 55, 50, 45, 40, 35, 30, 25, 20, 15, 10, 5, or less weight percent of a single carbonaceous material as described above. For example, the carbonaceous material may include at least about 70 weight percent methane, ethane, or propane. In another example, the carbonaceous material may include at least about 70 weight percent of a mixture of methane, ethane, and propane. The carbonaceous material may include a weight percent of a single carbonaceous material defined by any two of the aforementioned values. For example, the carbonaceous material may include about 50 to about 70 percent of a single carbonaceous material.In some cases, the carbonaceous material may include one or more minor constituents (e.g., impurities) For example, the carbonaceous material may include nitrogen, sulfur, halogens, zinc, etc. in amounts up to about 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0.5, 0.1, or less by weight percent.

[0043] In operation 120, the method 100 may include contacting the carbonaceous material with a silicon-containing additive in a reactor to generate carbon particles. In some cases, the reaction may not occur at the surface of the carbon particles. For example, the surface of the carbon particles may act as a complexing agent between the silicon-containing additive and the carbonaceous material or otherwise participate through weak interactions (e.g., dispersive interactions, non-bonding interactions, etc.) or strong interactions (e.g., bonding interactions, charged species interactions, etc.). The surface may provide a lower decomposition energy barrier for the carbonaceous material. For example, the surface may be a catalyst for the decomposition of the carbonaceous material. This may result in a non-core-shell morphology of the resulting carbon particles (e.g., the carbonaceous material may not grow on a silicon core). In some cases, the presence of the silicon-containing additive may enable lower reactor temperatures, lower energy usage, or a combination thereof. Rather, the silicon particles may contact multiple carbonaceous material molecules, thereby generating multiple carbon nuclei that may then form carbon particles. Thus, the resulting carbon particles may include some carbon particles with a silicon core and some carbon particles without a silicon core. In some cases, the resulting carbon particles may not include a core-shell morphology.

[0044] In some cases, the carbon particles may include at least one silicon core modified with carbon. For example, with the carbonaceous material and the silicon-containing additive in contact, the silicon-containing additive may react more rapidly than the carbonaceous material, thereby forming a silicon core. In this example, the carbonaceous material may then react and form a carbon modification around the silicon core. The silicon core may include at least silicon, silicon carbide, silicon oxycarbide, silicon dioxide, or the like, or any combination thereof. Operation 120 may include contacting the carbonaceous material with the silicon-containing additive to generate a plurality of carbon particles. For example, the plurality of carbon particles may be generated in a continuous flow scheme, where the carbonaceous material and the silicon-containing additive may be added to a flow reactor. The plurality of carbon particles may be generated in a batch process. For example, a predetermined amount of the carbonaceous material and the silicon-containing additive may be added to a batch reactor and reacted, and the resulting carbon particles may be collected from the batch reactor.

[0045] Operation 120 may include heating a heat transfer gas. Operation 120 may include contacting the heat transfer gas with the carbonaceous material and the silicon-containing additive to generate carbon particles. Examples of heat transfer gases include, but are not limited to, hydrogen, helium, nitrogen, neon, argon, krypton, air, water, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrocarbons (e.g., gaseous carbonaceous materials described elsewhere herein), other species that exist in a gaseous state at a temperature of at least about 200° C., and the like, or any combination thereof. The heat transfer gas may be configured to transfer heat from a heat source (e.g., a plasma source, heat source, etc. described elsewhere herein) to the carbonaceous material and / or the silicon-containing additive. The heat transfer gas may be inert to the reaction between the carbonaceous material and the silicon-containing additive. For example, an argon heat transfer gas may not react with the carbonaceous material and the silicon-containing additive. The heat transfer gas may comprise at least about 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 99.9, or more volume percent of a single heat transfer gas described above. The heat transfer gas may comprise up to about 99.9, 98, 97, 96, 95, 90, 85, 80, 75, 70, 65, 60, 55, 50, 45, 40, 35, 30, 25, 20, 15, 10, 5, or less volume percent of a single heat transfer gas described above. The heat transfer gas may comprise a volume percent of a range defined by any two of the aforementioned values ​​of a single heat transfer gas described above. For example, the heat transfer gas may comprise between about 60 and about 100 percent hydrogen by volume.

[0046] The heat transfer gas can be heated by using a heating system (e.g., a plasma system) as described elsewhere herein. For example, the heat transfer gas can be heated using a plasma torch as described elsewhere herein. The heat transfer gas can be heated to a temperature of at least about 500, 550, 600, 650, 700, 750, 800, 850, 900, 950, 1,000, 1,100, 1,200, 1,300, 1,400, 1,500, 1,550, 1,600, 1,650, 1,700, 1,750, 1,800, 1,850, 1, It may be heated to 900, 1,950, 2,000, 2,100, 2,200, 2,300, 2,400, 2,500, 2,600, 2,700, 2,800, 2,900, 3,000, 3,100, 3,200, 3,300, 3,400, 3,500, 3,600 degrees Celsius or higher. Heat transfer gases are available at temperatures up to approximately 3,600, 3,500, 3,400, 3,300, 3,200, 3,100, 3,000, 2,900, 2,800, 2,700, 2,600, 2,500, 2,400, 2,300, 2,200, 2,100, 2,000, 1,950, 1,900, 1,850, The heat transfer gas may be heated to a temperature of 1,800, 1,750, 1,700, 1,650, 1,600, 1,550, 1,500, 1,400, 1,300, 1,200, 1,100, 1,000, 950, 900, 850, 800, 750, 700, 650, 600, 550, 500 degrees Celsius or less. The heat transfer gas may be heated to a temperature in a range defined by any two of the aforementioned values. For example, the heat transfer gas may be heated to a temperature of about 1200 to about 1700 degrees Celsius. The heat transfer gas may be configured so that it is not incorporated or is not substantially incorporated into the products of the methods and systems described herein. For example, the heat transfer gas may be inert.

[0047] The step of contacting the heat transfer gas with the carbonaceous material and the silicon-containing additive can be carried out in a reactor. For example, the heat transfer gas can be heated in a first reactor section that includes a heating source (e.g., a plasma torch), and the heat transfer gas can be flowed to contact the carbonaceous material and the silicon-containing additive. In some cases, the heat transfer gas, the carbonaceous material, and the silicon-containing additive can be mixed in the reactor chamber for a predetermined amount of time (e.g., the residence time of the reactor). The heat transfer gas can provide heat to the carbonaceous material and the silicon-containing additive, thereby causing a decomposition reaction that can result in carbon particles. The carbonaceous material and the silicon-containing additive can be reacted in the presence of a plasma. For example, the carbonaceous material and the silicon-containing additive can be added to the reaction in the same section as the plasma torch. In this example, the plasma torch can provide heat to react the carbonaceous product and the silicon-containing additive.

[0048] During or after operation 120, wall fouling may form in the reactor. Wall fouling may include over-reacted carbonaceous material (e.g., reacted to form large aggregates). Wall fouling may result in errors during carbon particle production (e.g., clogging, increased impurities, reduced fluid flow, variations in carbon particle properties (e.g., oil uptake, surface area, etc.), etc.). The addition of a silicon-containing additive may reduce the amount of wall fouling formed compared to when no silicon-containing additive is used. Wall fouling may include at least about 0.01, 0.05, 0.1, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, or more percent of carbonaceous material by weight. Wall fouling may include up to about 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0.5, 0.1, 0.05, 0.01, or less percent of carbonaceous material by weight. The wall soil may have substantially the same ratio of silicon to carbon as the carbon particles. For example, the wall soil may have the same composition as the carbon particles, but a larger average particle size. The wall soil may have a different ratio of silicon to carbon than the carbon particles. For example, silicon may be present in the wall soil in a reduced amount compared to the amount in the carbon particles.

[0049] The carbonaceous material may be converted to carbon particles at a given yield (e.g., the amount of carbonaceous material present in the carbon particles). The carbonaceous material may be converted to carbon particles at a yield of at least about 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 99.9, or greater percent by weight. The carbonaceous material may be converted to carbon particles at a yield of up to about 99.9, 98, 97, 96, 95, 90, 85, 80, 75, 70, 65, 60, 55, 50, 45, 40, 35, 30, 25, 20, 15, 10, 5, or less percent by weight. The step of generating carbon particles may be carried out at a carbon particle generation rate of at least about 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, 1,000, 1,500, or more. The step of generating carbon particles may be carried out at a carbon particle generation rate of up to about 1,500, 1,000, 900, 800, 700, 600, 500, 400, 300, 200, 100, 50, 10, 5, 1, or less. The energy used to produce carbon particles can be reduced by at least about 0.01, 0.05, 0.1, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 20, or more percent compared to a method that does not add the silicon-containing additive (e.g., at the same level of residual carbonaceous feedstock or total carbon particle rate). The energy used to produce carbon particles can be reduced by up to about 20, 15, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0.5, 0.1, 0.05, 0.001, or less percent compared to a method that does not add the silicon-containing additive (e.g., at the same level of residual carbonaceous feedstock or total carbon particle rate).

[0050] In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a method for generating carbon particles. A silicon-containing additive and a carbonaceous material can be provided to a reactor. In the reactor, the carbonaceous material can be decomposed in the presence of the plasma and the silicon-containing additive to form carbon particles.

[0051] 2 is a flow diagram of an exemplary method 200 for generating carbon particles, according to some embodiments. In operation 210, the method 200 may include providing a silicon-containing additive and a carbonaceous material to a reactor. The silicon-containing additive, reactor, and carbonaceous material may be as described elsewhere herein.

[0052] Operation 210 may include providing a silicon-containing additive in a heat transfer gas. The heat transfer gas may be as described elsewhere herein. For example, the heat transfer gas may include at least about 60 percent hydrogen. In some cases, the heat transfer gas may be provided to a plasma region of the reactor, may be heated in the plasma region, and may transfer heat from the plasma region to the carbonaceous material and / or the silicon-containing additive. The silicon-containing additive may be added to the heat transfer gas prior to contact with the carbonaceous material. Pre-charging the silicon-containing additive may allow a reaction to occur prior to charging the carbonaceous material, where silicon-containing nucleants may form. The silicon-containing nucleants may serve as a substrate for the growth of carbon particles. In some cases, the silicon-containing additive may be provided in a material stream that includes the carbonaceous material. For example, the silicon-containing additive may be added to the gaseous carbonaceous material as a gas. Adding the silicon-containing additive to the carbonaceous material may enable the use of the methods described herein without changing the physical layout of the reactor. This allows for ease of implementation and does not require significant changes to existing factories that generate carbon particles.

[0053] The plasma reactor may include one or more of a plasma torch (e.g., an electric torch configured to generate a plasma), a plasma torch region (e.g., an enclosed space around the torch), a throat (e.g., an area constrained in area relative to the area on either side of the throat), one or more injection devices (e.g., injection devices configured to provide a feedstock (e.g., carbonaceous material, silicon-containing additive, etc.) to the reactor), one or more reaction zones (e.g., a volume configured as a retention area for the reaction to occur), etc., or any combination thereof. The plasma may be a thermal plasma. The plasma may be a non-thermal plasma. The addition of the silicon-containing additive to the carbonaceous material feedstock may be performed by using a vaporizer. For example, the silicon-containing additive may be added to the feedstock before the feedstock is added to the reactor. By pre-loading the silicon-containing additive in this manner, a less risky (e.g., safer) silicon-containing additive may be used (e.g., light siloxane) as opposed to direct injection of the silicon-containing additive (e.g., more reactive silane). Such addition may include the use of a container (e.g., drum, bag, etc.) of liquid silicon-containing additive and a pump configured to handle this liquid (e.g., resistant to reaction with the liquid (e.g., lined with inert plastic, stainless steel, etc.)). Addition may include the use of a spray nozzle to spray the silicon-containing additive into the carbonaceous material stream. The carbonaceous material may be preheated to aid in vaporization of the liquid spray. After vaporization, the carbonaceous material / silicon-containing additive may be injected into the reactor as described elsewhere herein. The silicon-containing additive may be added to the same reactor section as the carbonaceous material feedstock. The silicon-containing additive may be added to the reactor downstream (e.g., further in the direction of gas flow) from the carbonaceous material feedstock.The injector for the silicon-containing additive may be at least about 5, 10, 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 350, 400, 450, 500, 650, 700, 750, 800, 900, 1,000, 1,100, 1,200, 1,300, 1,400, 1,500, 1,600, 1,700, 1,800, 1,900, 2,000, 2,100, 2,200, 2,300, 3,400, 3,500, 4,600, 4,700, 5,800, 6,100, 7,100, 8,200, 9,300, 10,000, 11,000, 12,000, 13,000, 14,000, 15,000, 16,000, 17,000, 18,000, 19,000, 20,000, 21,000, 22,000, 23,000, 24,000, 25,000, 26,000, 27,000, 28,000, 29,000, 30,000, 31,000, 32,000, 33,000, 34,000, 35,000, 36,000, 37,000, 38,000, 39,000, 40,000, 41,00 , 400, 2,500, 2,600, 2,700, 2,800, 2,900, 3,000, 3,100, 3,200, 3,300, 3,400, 3,500, 3,600, 3,700, 3,800, 3,900, 4,000, 4,100, 4,200, 4,300, 4,400, 4,500, 4,600, 4,700, 4,800, 4,900, 5,000, or more millimeters downstream. The injection device for silicon-containing additives is up to about 5,000, 4,900, 4,800, 4,700, 4,600, 4,500, 4,400, 4,300, 4,200, 4,100, 4,000, 3,900, 3,800, 3,700, 3,600, 3,500, 3,400, 3,300, 3,200, 3,100, 3,000, 2,900 , 2,800, 2,700, 2,600, 2,500, 2,400, 2,300, 2,200, 2,100, 2,000, 1,900, 1,800, 1,700, 1,650, 1,600, 1,550, 1,500, 1,400, 1,300, 1,200, 1,100, 1,000, 950, 900, 850, 800, 750, 700, 650, 600, 550, 500, 450, 400, 350, 300, 250, 200, 150, 100, 50, 10, 5, or less millimeters downstream. The injector for the silicon-containing additive may be downstream of the injector for the carbonaceous material feedstock at a value within the range defined by any two of the aforementioned values. Figure 11 shows an example of an additive addition scheme according to some embodiments. In some cases, the silicon-containing additive is not mixed with the carbonaceous material prior to the reactor.

[0054] In operation 220, the method 200 may include decomposing the carbonaceous material in the presence of the plasma and the silicon-containing additive in a reactor to form carbon particles. Operation 220 may include decomposing the carbonaceous material in the presence of the plasma and the silicon-containing additive to generate a plurality of carbon particles. Operation 220 may include (i) a heat transfer gas heated to a temperature sufficient to enable decomposition of the carbonaceous material, but not to a plasma state, and (ii) decomposing the carbonaceous material in the presence of the silicon-containing additive to generate a plurality of carbon particles. An example of a decomposition pathway for methane may include the decomposition of methane into CH3 radicals, ethylene, and acetylene, where combination and further dehydrogenation of some of these molecules may form polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which may further react to form carbon particles.

[0055] The decomposing step may include decomposing the mixture at temperatures of at least about 500, 550, 600, 650, 700, 750, 800, 850, 900, 950, 1,000, 1,100, 1,200, 1,300, 1,400, 1,500, 1,550, 1,600, 1,650, 1,700, 1,750, 1,800, 1,850, It may be performed at temperatures of 1,900, 1,950, 2,000, 2,100, 2,200, 2,300, 2,400, 2,500, 2,600, 2,700, 2,800, 2,900, 3,000, 3,100, 3,200, 3,300, 3,400, 3,500, 3,600 degrees Celsius or higher. The decomposition steps are up to approximately 3,600, 3,500, 3,400, 3,300, 3,200, 3,100, 3,000, 2,900, 2,800, 2,700, 2,600, 2,500, 2,400, 2,300, 2,200, 2,100, 2,000, 1,950, 1,900, 1,850 degrees Celsius. , 1,800, 1,750, 1,700, 1,650, 1,600, 1,550, 1,500, 1,400, 1,300, 1,200, 1,100, 1,000, 950, 900, 850, 800, 750, 700, 650, 600, 550, 500 degrees Celsius or less. The decomposing step may be carried out within a temperature range defined by any two of the foregoing values. For example, the decomposing step may be carried out at a temperature of about 1500 to about 2100 degrees Celsius. The temperature may be a calculated reaction temperature. For example, the temperature may be calculated by a combination of thorough mixing of the material streams (e.g., feed stream, transfer gas stream, etc.) into the reactor, power addition from a heat source (e.g., a plasma torch), heat loss of coolant between the heat source and the mixing area (e.g., heat loss to reactor cooling), material stream conditions (e.g., composition, flow rate, temperature, pressure, etc.), specific heat of the reactor materials and material streams, latent heat of the reactor, reaction energy of the reaction occurring in the reactor (e.g., whether the reaction is endothermic or exothermic, etc.), etc., or any combination thereof. Measurements of reactor temperature may include direct measurements of wall temperature, heat loss measurements (e.g., by measuring inlet and outlet temperatures), flow rate measurements, feed streams, quench streams, etc., or any combination thereof.The output gas composition measurement from the reactor can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of feedstock conversion. When feasible, redundancy can be used to verify the measurements and reduce the risk of data loss in the event of a sensor failure. The temperature can be at least about 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, 1,000 degrees Celsius or more lower than the temperature of the method without the silicon-containing additive (e.g., at the same level of residual carbonaceous feedstock or total carbon particle rate). The temperature may be up to about 1,000, 900, 800, 700, 600, 500, 400, 300, 200, 100, 95, 90, 85, 80, 75, 70, 65, 60, 55, 50, 45, 40, 35, 30, 25, 20, 15, 10, 5 degrees Celsius or less lower than the temperature of a process that does not use the silicon-containing additive (e.g., at the same level of residual carbonaceous feedstock or total carbon particle percentage).

[0056] The step of decomposing the carbonaceous material can have a more rapid reaction rate with the addition of the silicon-containing additive than without the addition of the silicon-containing additive by a factor of at least about 1.05, 1.1, 1.15, 1.2, 1.25, 1.3, 1.35, 1.4, 1.45, 1.5, 1.55, 1.6, 1.65, 1.7, 1.75, 1.8, 1.85, 1.9, 1.95, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, or more. The step of decomposing the carbonaceous material may have a more rapid reaction rate with the addition of the silicon-containing additive than without the addition of the silicon-containing additive by up to about 3.5, 3, 2.5, 2, 1.95, 1.9, 1.85, 1.8, 1.75, 1.7, 1.65, 1.6, 1.55, 1.5, 1.45, 1.4, 1.35, 1.3, 1.25, 1.2, 1.15, 1.1, 1.05, or less. The reaction coefficient is calculated from the equation:

number

[0057] During or after operation 220, wall fouling may form in the reactor. Wall fouling may include over-reacted carbonaceous material (e.g., reacted to form large solid carbon species (e.g., solid carbon species that are difficult to crush)). Wall fouling may result in reduced yields (e.g., clogging, increased impurities, reduced yields, etc.) during the production of carbon particles. The addition of a silicon-containing additive may reduce the amount of wall fouling formed compared to when no silicon-containing additive is used. Wall fouling may include at least about 0.01, 0.05, 0.1, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, or more percent of carbonaceous material by weight. Wall fouling may include up to about 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0.5, 0.1, 0.05, 0.01, or less percent of carbonaceous material by weight. Wall fouling may include substantially the same ratio of silicon to carbon as the carbon particles. For example, the wall soil may have the same composition as the carbon particles but a larger average particle size. The wall soil may have a different ratio of silicon to carbon than the carbon particles. For example, silicon may be present in a reduced amount in the wall soil compared to the amount in the carbon particles.

[0058] 3 is a flow diagram of an exemplary method 300 for generating carbon particles, according to some embodiments. In operation 310, the method 300 may include providing a silicon-containing additive and a carbonaceous material to a reactor. The silicon-containing additive, reactor, and carbonaceous material may be as described elsewhere herein.

[0059] The ratio of the silicon-containing additive to the carbonaceous material may be at least about 0.000001, 0.000005, 0.00001, 0.00005, 0.001, 0.005, 0.01, 0.05, 0.1, 0.5, 1, or more by weight. The ratio of the silicon-containing additive to the carbonaceous material may be up to about 1, 0.5, 0.1, 0.05, 0.01, 0.005, 0.001, 0.0005, 0.0001, 0.00005, 0.00001, 0.000005, 0.000001, or less by weight. The ratio of the silicon-containing additive to the carbonaceous material may be a ratio in the range defined by any two of the aforementioned values. For example, the ratio may be about 0.01 to about 0.1 by weight.

[0060] In another operation 320, the method 300 may include reacting the carbonaceous material and the silicon-containing additive in a reactor to generate nuclei. The nuclei may include at least one silicon core. The reacting may include reacting in a plasma reactor as described elsewhere herein. The reacting may be performed at a temperature as described elsewhere herein.

[0061] The reacting step may include reacting the carbonaceous material and the silicon-containing additive simultaneously or substantially simultaneously. For example, the silicon-containing additive may have a more rapid reaction rate, thereby forming a silicon core with which the carbonaceous material then reacts. In this example, the silicon-containing additive may be added to the carbonaceous material prior to introduction into the reactor. For example, the silicon-containing additive and the carbonaceous material may be mixed (e.g., in the gas phase, in the liquid phase, etc.) and then piped into the reactor.

[0062] The reacting step may include reacting a silicon-containing additive and then reacting the carbonaceous material. For example, the silicon-containing additive may be reacted to form a silicon core, and then the carbonaceous material may be reacted on the silicon core. In this example, the silicon-containing additive may be added to the reactor before the carbonaceous material is added to the reactor. For example, the silicon-containing additive may be piped into the reactor closer to the heat source (e.g., further upstream) from where the carbonaceous material is added to the reactor.

[0063] The silicon core may comprise at least about 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, or more percent silicon. The silicon core may comprise up to about 99, 98, 97, 96, 95, 90, 85, 80, 75, 70, 65, 60, 55, 50, 45, 40, or less percent silicon. The silicon core may comprise an amount of silicon in a range defined by any two of the aforementioned values. The silicon core may be at least about 1, 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, or more nanometers in diameter. The silicon core may be up to about 500, 400, 300, 200, 100, 90, 80, 70, 60, 50, 40, 30, 20, 10, 5, 1, or less nanometers in diameter. The multiple silicon cores may have diameters in a range defined by any two of the aforementioned values. The silicon core may include pure silicon, silicon carbide, silicon oxycarbide, silicon oxide, silicon nitride, or the like, or any combination thereof. The silicon core may provide a lower energy surface for the growth of the carbonaceous material. Operation 320 may include generating multiple nuclei, each of which includes a silicon core. For example, the reactor may be configured to generate multiple nuclei to scale up the production of carbon particles. The core may be located within the carbon particle, on the surface of the carbon particle, or the like. The core may be located away from the carbon particle.

[0064] Operation 320 may be performed in the presence of a plasma. The plasma may be a plasma described elsewhere herein. The plasma may be configured to provide heat to the carbonaceous material and the silicon-containing additive. For example, the plasma may heat a heat transfer gas, which is in turn configured to provide heat to the carbonaceous material and the silicon-containing additive. Operation 320 may be performed in thermal contact with the plasma. For example, the thermal contact may be via a transfer gas. In some cases, operation 320 may be performed in the direct presence of the plasma. For example, operation 320 may be performed in a chamber in which the plasma is formed.

[0065] In another operation 330, the method 300 may include growing carbon particles on the nucleation. For example, a nucleation may be formed and then carbon may be grown on the nucleation using a carbonaceous material. In this example, the nucleation on which the carbonaceous material is grown may be carbon particles. The carbon particles may include at least about 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 99.9, or more percent carbon by weight. The carbon particles may comprise up to about 99.9, 98, 97, 96, 95, 90, 85, 80, 75, 70, 65, 60, 55, 50, 45, 40, 35, 30, 25, 20, 15, 10, 5, or less percent carbon by weight. The carbon particles may comprise carbon black.

[0066] Operation 330 may be performed in the presence of a plasma. For example, operation 330 may be performed in the same chamber in which the plasma is formed, thereby providing energy for growing carbon particles on the nucleation material. The plasma may be a plasma described elsewhere herein. Operation 330 may be performed in the absence of a plasma. For example, the plasma may be used to heat a transfer gas, which may be bled out of the plasma and then used to provide energy for operation 330.

[0067] Operation 330 may include growing a plurality of carbon particles on a plurality of nuclei. For example, the reactor may be configured to produce a plurality of carbon particles in a scaled-up reaction. Operation 330 may include growing a plurality of carbon particles on a nuclei. For example, a plurality of carbon particles may be grown on a surface of a nuclei to form a cluster of carbon particles. In some cases, the nuclei may be contained within a single carbon particle (e.g., a core-shell arrangement). In some cases, the plurality of carbon particles grown on a single nuclei may have a bunch-of-grapes structure. In some cases, silicon-containing particles may be grown separately from the carbon particles and may decompose the carbonaceous material at a lower energy (e.g., may act as a catalyst).

[0068] During or after operation 330, wall fouling may form in the reactor. Wall fouling may include over-reacted carbonaceous material (e.g., reacted to form large aggregates). Wall fouling may result in errors (e.g., clogging, increased impurities, etc.) during the production of carbon particles. The addition of a silicon-containing additive may reduce the amount of wall fouling formed compared to when no silicon-containing additive is used. Wall fouling may include at least about 0.01, 0.05, 0.1, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, or more percent of carbonaceous material by weight. Wall fouling may include up to about 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0.5, 0.1, 0.05, 0.01, or less percent of carbonaceous material by weight. Wall fouling may include substantially the same ratio of silicon to carbon as carbon particles. For example, the wall soil may have the same composition as the carbon particles but a larger average particle size. The wall soil may have a different ratio of silicon to carbon than the carbon particles. For example, silicon may be present in a reduced amount in the wall soil compared to the amount in the carbon particles.

[0069] In another aspect, the present disclosure provides carbon particles or carbonaceous materials. The carbon particles can include structures or non-carbon parts. The ash including structures (e.g., produced from carbon particles via ASTM D1506) or non-carbon parts can have a surface area of ​​at least about 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110, 120, 130, 140, 150, 160, 170, 180, 190, 200, 225, 250, 275, 300, 400, 500, or more square meters per gram. The ash may have an unexpectedly large surface area. The unexpectedly large surface area may be due to co-deposition of materials (e.g., silicon) of the ash with carbon of the carbon particles. Thus, when carbon is removed by ashing, the resulting ash can have a large surface area. The carbon particles can be carbon black as described elsewhere herein. The structures or non-carbon parts can include silicon. The structure or non-carbon portion may comprise at least about 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 95, or more percent silicon. The surface area of ​​the non-carbon portion may be determined by ashing using ASTM D1506. The non-carbon portion may comprise up to about 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, or more percent of the weight of the carbon particles. The carbon particles have a lattice constant (L) in nanometers of at least about 1, 2, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, 2.8, 2.9, 3.0, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 3.8, 3.9, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0, or more. cThe ash comprising the structure or non-carbon portions may have an injection density of at least about 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110, 120, 130, 140, 150, 160, 170, 180, 190, 200, or more kilograms per cubic meter. The ash comprising the structure or non-carbon portions may have an injection density of up to about 200, 190, 180, 170, 160, 150, 140, 130, 120, 110, 100, 90, 80, 70, 60, 50, 40, 30, or less kilograms per cubic meter.

[0070] FIG. 9 illustrates an example of a plasma reactor 900 according to some embodiments. The plasma reactor may be configured to perform methods described elsewhere herein. For example, the plasma reactor may be configured to generate carbon particles as described elsewhere herein. The plasma reactor may include a torch region 902, a throat region 903, and / or a reactor region 904. The torch region may accommodate one or more plasma torches 901. The one or more plasma torches may include at least about 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, or more plasma torches. The one or more plasma torches may include up to about 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, or 1 plasma torches. The one or more plasma torches may be configured to provide plasma to the torch region. For example, the one or more plasma torches may be configured to convert a gas (e.g., a transfer gas) into plasma utilizing electrical energy. The plasma may be configured for use as a reactant in a method for generating carbon particles. For example, the plasma may be used to provide heat to the method for generating carbon particles. The plasma torch may include a conductive material. Examples of conductive materials include, but are not limited to, carbon (e.g., graphite, glassy carbon, etc.), metals (e.g., iron, tungsten, gold, etc.), alloys (e.g., steel, etc.), polymers (e.g., conductive polymers), and the like, or any combination thereof. The plasma torch may include multiple segments. For example, the plasma torch may include multiple electrode portions (e.g., anode, cathode, ground, or combinations thereof).

[0071] The lines shown in FIG. 9 may indicate the direction of flow of gas (e.g., transfer gas) flowing through the plasma reactor. For example, the direction of gas flow may be from the torch region through the throat region to the reactor region. The transfer gas may be introduced into the plasma reactor upstream of the torch area. For example, the transfer gas may be introduced through a pipe located upstream of the plasma torch. The transfer gas may be introduced into the plasma reactor before the throat region, in the throat region, after the throat region, in the reactor region, or any combination thereof. The introduction of the transfer gas after the plasma torch may affect the temperature, flow rate, reaction rate, concentration, dilution, etc. of the plasma reactor.

[0072] The plasma reactor may include one or more injectors of carbonaceous material. The injectors of carbonaceous material may be located upstream of the torch region, in the torch region, in the throat region, in the reactor region, or any combination thereof. Each region of the plasma reactor may include one or more injectors of carbonaceous material. The one or more injectors of carbonaceous material may be radially distributed around the plasma reactor. The one or more injectors of carbonaceous material may be configured to inject the same type of carbonaceous material. For example, each injector of carbonaceous material of the one or more injectors of carbonaceous material may be configured to inject methane. The one or more injectors of carbonaceous material may be configured to inject multiple types of carbonaceous material.

[0073] The reactor region 904 can be configured to have a residence time of at least about 0.01, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, 1, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, 2, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, 2.8, 2.9, 3, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 3.8, 3.9, 4, 5, 6 seconds, or more. The reactor zone may be configured to have a residence time of up to about 6, 5, 4, 3.9, 3.8, 3.7, 3.6, 3.5, 3.4, 3.3, 3.2, 3.1, 3, 2.9, 2.8, 2.7, 2.6, 2.5, 2.4, 2.3, 2.2, 2.1, 2, 1.9, 1.8, 1.7, 1.6, 1.5, 1.4, 1.3, 1.2, 1.1, 1, 0.9, 0.8, 0.7, 0.6, 0.5, 0.4, 0.3, 0.2, 0.1, 0.05, 0.01 seconds, or less. The reactor zone may be configured to have a residence time in a range defined by any two of the foregoing values. For example, the reactor zone may be configured to have a residence time of about 0.2 to about 3 seconds. The residence time may be the time that the gas mixture spends at a temperature greater than about 1,100° C. The reactor may not include, or may be substantially free of, a restriction between regions 902 and 904. Such a reactor may generate larger particles (e.g., not carbon black) that include a large primary particle size.

[0074] Computer Systems The present disclosure provides a computer system that is programmed to implement the method of the present disclosure. Figure 7 shows a computer system 701 that is programmed or otherwise configured to implement the method and / or control the system of the present disclosure. The computer system 701 can regulate various aspects of the present disclosure, such as a reactor configured to react a carbonaceous material and a silicon-containing additive. The computer system 701 can be a user's electronic device or a computer system that is remotely located with respect to the electronic device. The electronic device can be a portable electronic device.

[0075] The computer system 701 includes a central processing unit (CPU, also referred to herein as "processor" and "computer processor") 705, which may be a single-core or multi-core processor, or multiple processors for parallel processing. The computer system 701 also includes memory or memory locations 710 (e.g., random access memory, read-only memory, flash memory), an electronic storage unit 715 (e.g., hard disk), a communication interface 720 (e.g., network adapter) for communicating with one or more other systems, and peripheral devices 725, such as cache, other memory, data storage, and / or electronic display adapters. The memory 710, the storage unit 715, the interface 720, and the peripheral devices 725 are in communication with the CPU 705 through a communication bus (solid lines), e.g., a motherboard. The storage unit 715 may be a data storage unit (or data repository) for storing data. The computer system 701 may be operatively coupled to a computer network ("network") 730 utilizing the communication interface 720. The network 730 may be the Internet, an Internet and / or an extranet, or an intranet and / or an extranet in communication with the Internet. The network 730 is, in some cases, a telecommunications and / or data network. The network 730 may include one or more computer servers, which may enable distributed computing, such as cloud computing. The network 730 may, in some cases, leverage the computer system 701 to implement a peer-to-peer network, which may enable devices coupled to the computer system 701 to behave as clients or servers.

[0076] The CPU 705 can execute a series of machine-readable instructions, which may be embodied in a program or software. The instructions may be stored in a memory location, such as the memory 710. The instructions may be issued to the CPU 705, which may then be programmed or otherwise configured to cause the CPU 705 to implement the methods of the present disclosure. Examples of operations performed by the CPU 705 may include fetch, decode, execute, and writeback.

[0077] The CPU 705 may be part of a circuit, such as an integrated circuit. One or more other components of the system 701 may be included in the circuit. In some cases, the circuit is an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0078] The storage unit 715 can store files, such as drivers, libraries, and saved programs. The storage unit 715 can store user data, such as user preferences and user programs. The computer system 701 may include one or more additional data storage units, in some cases located outside the computer system 701, for example on a remote server that communicates with the computer system 701 through an intranet or the Internet.

[0079] The computer system 701 can communicate with one or more remote computer systems through the network 730. For example, the computer system 701 can communicate with a user's remote computer system. Examples of remote computer systems include a personal computer (e.g., a portable PC), a slate or tablet PC (e.g., an Apple® iPad®, a Samsung® Galaxy Tab), a phone, a smartphone (e.g., an Apple® iPhone®, an Android®-enabled device, a Blackberry®), or a personal digital assistant. A user can access the computer system 701 through the network 730.

[0080] The methods described herein may be implemented by machine (e.g., computer processor) executable code stored in an electronic storage location of the computer system 701, such as in memory 710 or electronic storage unit 715. The machine executable or machine readable code may be provided in the form of software. In use, the code may be executed by the processor 705. In some cases, the code may be retrieved from the storage unit 715 and stored in memory 710 for rapid access by the processor 705. In some situations, the electronic storage unit 715 may be eliminated and the machine executable instructions are stored in memory 710.

[0081] The code can be pre-compiled and configured for use on a machine having a processor adapted to execute the code, or can be compiled during run-time. The code can be provided in a programming language that can be selected to allow the code to be executed in a pre-compiled or as-compiled manner.

[0082] Aspects of the systems and methods provided herein, such as the computer system 701, can be embodied in programming. Various aspects of the technology can be thought of as a "product" or "article of manufacture," typically in the form of machine (or processor) executable code and / or associated data carried or embodied in a type of machine-readable medium. The machine-executable code can be stored in an electronic storage unit, such as a memory (e.g., read-only memory, random access memory, flash memory) or a hard disk. A "storage" type medium can include any and all tangible memory of a computer, processor, or the like, or its associated modules, such as various semiconductor memories, tape drives, disk drives, etc., that can provide non-transitory storage at any time for software programming. All or part of the software can sometimes be communicated over the Internet or various other telecommunications networks. Such communication can, for example, enable the software to be loaded from one computer or processor to another, such as from a management server or host computer to the computer platform of an application server. Thus, other types of media that may carry software elements include light waves, radio waves, and electromagnetic waves used, for example, through physical interfaces between local devices, through wired and land-line communications networks, and across various air links. The physical elements that carry such waves, e.g., wired or wireless links, optical links, and the like, may also be considered media that carry software. As used herein, unless limited to non-transitory tangible "storage" media, terms such as computer or machine "readable medium" refer to any medium that participates in providing instructions to a processor for execution.

[0083] Thus, machine-readable media, e.g., computer executable code, may take many forms, including but not limited to tangible storage media, carrier wave media, or physical transmission media. Non-volatile storage media include, e.g., optical or magnetic disks, any of the storage devices in any computer(s) shown in the figures, which may be used to implement, e.g., databases, etc. Volatile storage media include dynamic memory, e.g., main memory of such computer platforms. Tangible transmission media include coaxial cables, copper wire and fiber optics, including the wiring that comprises a bus in a computer system. Carrier wave transmission media may take the form of electric or electromagnetic signals, or acoustic or light waves, e.g., those generated during radio frequency (RF) and infrared (IR) data communications. Thus, common forms of computer readable media include, for example, a floppy disk, a flexible disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape, any other magnetic medium, a CD-ROM, a DVD or DVD-ROM, any other optical medium, punch cards paper tape, any other physical storage medium having a pattern of holes, a RAM, a ROM, a PROM and EPROM, a FLASH-EPROM, any other memory chip or cartridge, a carrier wave transmitting data or instructions, a cable or link transmitting such a carrier wave, or any other medium from which a computer can read programming code and / or data. Many of these forms of computer readable media may be involved in carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions to a processor for execution.

[0084] The computer system 701 can include or be in communication with an electronic display 735 that includes, for example, a user interface (UI) 740 to provide an interface for controlling the reactor. Examples of UIs include, but are not limited to, graphical user interfaces (GUIs) and web-based user interfaces.

[0085] The methods and systems of the present disclosure may be implemented by one or more algorithms. The algorithms may be implemented by software when executed by the central processing unit 705. The algorithms may, for example, implement the generation of different carbon particles based on user-provided parameters.

[0086] The following examples are illustrative of certain systems and methods described herein and are not intended to be limiting. EXAMPLES

[0087] Example 1 Improving yields by using silicon-containing additives FIG. 4 is an exemplary plot 400 of the residual amount of methane present in the gas output of a reactor according to some embodiments. Although described herein with respect to methane, any carbonaceous precursor of the present disclosure may be used. A reactor operating to produce carbon particles in the absence of a silicon-containing additive may have a residual methane versus temperature plot as shown in plot 410 (error bars are shaded). As the temperature of the reactor increases, the amount of residual methane may decrease. This may be due to the observed increase in reaction rate at higher temperatures. In a reactor in which a silicon-containing additive is added to the reactor, a residual methane plot, such as plot 420, may be observed. Of note, the amount of residual methane detected after the reaction may be lower with the silicon-containing additive than with the carbonaceous material alone. Such a reduction in residual methane may result in improved yield of carbon particles, lower electricity usage in the generation of carbon particles, lower reactor temperatures, lower power usage, and other benefits discussed herein. The amount of residual carbon in the system may relate to the completeness of the reaction of the carbonaceous material feedstock. For example, a more complete reaction can result in less residual carbon in the system. The disclosed method and system can result in a maximum of about 5, 4.5, 4, 3.5, 3, 2.5, 2, 1.9, 1.8, 1.7, 1.6, 1.5, 1.4, 1.3, 1.2, 1.1, 1, 0.9, 0.8, 0.7, 0.6, 0.5, 0.4, 0.3, 0.2, 0.1, or less percent residual carbon. Reducing residual carbon can improve reactor efficiency (e.g., increase the amount of carbon particles produced in a given reaction run), reduce fouling (e.g., less residual carbon allows less raw material to react and cause fouling in other parts of the reactor), etc.

[0088] FIG. 5 is an exemplary plot 500 of the yield of solid carbon (e.g., carbon particles) from a reactor without (510) and with (520) the addition of a silicon-containing additive, according to some embodiments. Similar to FIG. 4, the addition of the silicon-containing additive allows for a higher yield of carbon particles at a lower reaction temperature. Such an improvement can allow for the use of lower reactor temperatures, thereby reducing costs and reactor wear. In addition, the use of lower temperatures with the silicon-containing additive can enable new schemes for making carbon particles. The use of the silicon-containing additive can be an improvement in that carbon particles are obtained in high yield.

[0089] FIG. 6 shows an example of a comparison plot 600 between the products of a reaction generating carbon particles with and without the addition of a silicon-containing additive, according to some embodiments. As described elsewhere, the overall yield of carbon particles (e.g., recovered product) can be higher when a silicon-containing additive is used than when it is not used, given similar reaction conditions (e.g., 1900 degrees Celsius for the reaction without additive and 1900 degrees Celsius for the reaction with additive). Furthermore, the overall amount of fouling generated by the reaction can be significantly reduced by the addition of the silicon-containing additive. Reduced fouling can be another advantage of using silicon-containing additives in the production of carbon particles, which can significantly improve the function and stability of the reactor. Reduced wall fouling can be an important part of scaling the process, and the use of silicon-containing additives can provide such a reduction. In addition, the economics of carbon particle production can be improved by increasing the amount of recovered product, since more of the carbon introduced into the system can be formed into carbon particle product. Plot 600 may be the form in which carbon may be removed from the reactor (e.g., recovered product may be carbon removed as carbon particles, wall fouling may be solid carbon collected from the walls of the reactor, additional carbon may be solid carbon collected during the process of generating carbon particles, and exhaust carbon may be carbon exiting the reactor in the gas phase). The values ​​of the plot may be normalized by the total amount of carbon introduced into the system.

[0090] The reactor used to generate the data plots above may include a water-cooled vessel approximately 2 meters tall with heating power provided by a three-phase plasma torch. Gas (e.g., heat transfer gas) is passed through the torch at a flow rate of approximately 28 Nm 3 / hr, downstream from the torch. 3 Methane can be injected substantially simultaneously at a rate of 1000 / hr (e.g., at a feed dilution ratio of 7). Approximately 70 kW of power can be supplied through a torch to heat the gas to provide energy for the reaction that generates the carbon particles. The gas can be quenched by injection of an inert gas to cool the gas and carry away the formed carbon particles.

[0091] Table 1 shows further test conditions for an exemplary comparative reaction (e.g., the comparative reaction used to generate the data in FIG. 6). The reactor can have a flow path for a plasma gas (e.g., a heat transfer gas) and a flow path for a feedstock (e.g., a carbonaceous material). The plasma gas can be carbon-free and can be heated to a temperature of at least about 2000° C. using a plasma torch. The feedstock gas can include methane and a silicon-containing additive, and the feedstock gas can be heated to a temperature of at least about 400° C. to vaporize the silicon-containing additive. The feedstock gas can then be injected into the plasma gas and the mixture can be transferred to a reaction chamber. In the reaction chamber, the feedstock can decompose to form solid carbon and hydrogen, and can also produce other hydrocarbon species. The residual gas-phase carbon can be a portion of the residual carbon in Table 1. The temperature in Table 1 can be measured at the wall of the reaction chamber. The dilution ratio can be the molar ratio of plasma gas to carbon in the reactor. The residual carbon can comprise the gas-phase carbon mass at the outlet of the reactor as a percentage of the carbon mass injected into the reactor. [Table 1]

[0092] Example 2 Reactor parameters using silicon-containing additives Figure 8 shows a set of conditions for exemplary large and small scale reactors according to some embodiments. In some cases, the values ​​that can be used for the large scale reactor and the small scale reaction may be the same. In some cases, different properties of the large scale and small scale reactors may cause different values ​​for the same property. The reaction may be carried out in the absence of oxygen.

[0093] The pressure can be the reactor pressure, for example, at the plasma torch, throat, reactor region, or any combination thereof. Plasma gas H2% can be the percentage of the plasma gas that is hydrogen. The remainder of the plasma gas can be as described elsewhere herein (e.g., carbonaceous material, silicon-containing additives, other heat transfer gases, etc.). The dilution ratio can be the amount of heat transfer gas (e.g., hydrogen) in the feed divided by the amount of carbonaceous feedstock, in molar ratio. For example, a 6:1 dilution ratio can be 6 moles of hydrogen and 6 moles of carbon. The toluene injection can be a toluene quench injected after reacting the carbonaceous product to stop the reaction. The toluene injection amount is a molar percentage of the carbon loading (C ) as shown. molThe toluene injection may be co-injected with the carbonaceous feedstock and the silicon-containing additive. Co-injection with toluene can initiate nucleation more rapidly (e.g., because toluene is further along on the reaction pathway to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons). Other monocyclic or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons can be used as well (e.g., xylene, benzene, naphthalene, anthracene, methylnaphthalene, coronene, benzopyrene, etc.). The reaction temperature can be the reaction temperature in the reactor portion of the reactor. The reaction temperature can be lower than the plasma temperature (e.g., because a cooler feedstock is mixed with the heat transfer gas). The reaction temperature can be determined as described elsewhere herein. For example, the reaction temperature can be a calculated reaction temperature. The system residence time can refer to the amount of time that the carbonaceous material spends in the system before being removed as carbon particles. For example, in a system having a residence time of 1500 milliseconds (ms), the carbonaceous material can leave the reactor as part of the carbon particles on average 1500 ms after injection into the reactor. The additive injection location is a location where an additive (e.g., a silicon-containing additive) can be injected into the reactor. In the feedstock can refer to adding the additive to the carbonaceous material before injecting the mixed additive and carbonaceous material into the reactor. In the plasma gas can refer to adding the additive to the heat transfer gas before passing the gas through the plasma torch. The loading can be the loading level of the silicon-containing additive as a loading percentage of carbon (e.g., Si / C%). The injection of the silicon-containing additive can be downstream of the hydrocarbon injection. For example, the silicon-containing additive can be injected into the reactor after the hydrocarbon is injected into the reactor. When the silicon-containing additive is injected downstream of the hydrocarbon, the surface area (e.g., N2SA) of the resulting carbon particles can be increased. The increase can be at least about 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, or more percent compared to the carbon particles produced without the silicon-containing additive. When the silicon-containing additive and the hydrocarbon are injected into the same part of the reactor, the surface area can be the same or substantially the same as when the silicon-containing additive was not injected.For example, the surface area can be within about 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, or less percent.

[0094] In another example, the use of silicon-containing additives can be tested in a commercial plasma pyrolysis reactor. In such reactors, the conversion of feedstock to carbon particles can be a very important performance parameter, and the conversion can be increased by increasing the reactor temperature. The use of silicon-containing additives allows the reactor to produce the same hydrocarbon conversion at a lower temperature, which can result in lower power consumption points and improved cost and environmental effectiveness. Figure 10 provides an example of carbon particle production with and without silicon-containing additives according to some embodiments. The use of silicon-containing additives can significantly reduce the amount of power it takes to produce carbon particles (e.g., about 1.2 megawatt-hours of labor savings per ton of carbon particles produced). The carbon production rate can be the feed rate of the carbonaceous feedstock (e.g., natural gas) multiplied by 0.75 to account for all solid carbon injected into the system. Such a multiplier can be lower than the production rate achieved.

[0095] In another example, carbon particles produced by the methods and systems described elsewhere herein can be ashed (e.g., under ambient atmosphere via ASTM D1506). A comparison can be made between ashed particles produced with the addition of a silicon-containing additive (e.g., 500 ppm hexamethyldisiloxane co-injected with the carbonaceous material) and ashed particles produced without the addition of a silicon-containing additive. The ashed particles produced without the additive have a diameter of 39.8 m. 2 / g N2SA surface area (e.g., as measured by ASTM D6556), with a major elemental composition of alumina, iron oxide, and calcium oxide, and 324 kg / m 3 The ashing particles produced with the silicon-containing additive may have an injection density (measured, for example, by ASTM D1513) of 742.7 m 2 / g, the major elemental composition may be silica, and the N2SA may be 145 kg / m 3The process including the addition of the silicon-containing additive can reduce the amount of electricity used to generate the carbon particles by approximately 1.2 megawatt hours per ton of carbon particles generated, assuming a carbon particle generation rate of 1138 kg / hour. The second sample produced with the process including the addition of the silicon-containing additive had an injection density of 367.2 m 2 / g of ashed N2SA. The presence of a high surface area of ​​the ashed product may be due to the formation of carbon particles together with the silicon-containing additive. For example, the simultaneous formation of carbon particles can generate particles that provide a high surface area when ashed (e.g., because carbon and silicon are mixed together).

[0096] Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described herein, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that such embodiments are provided by way of example only. It is not intended that the present invention be limited by the specific examples provided herein. Although the present invention has been described with reference to the above specification, the description and illustration of the embodiments herein are not intended to be construed in a limiting sense. Numerous changes, changes, and substitutions will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention. Furthermore, it should be understood that all aspects of the present invention are not limited to the specific expressions, arrangements, or relative proportions described herein, which may vary depending on various conditions and variables. It is understood that various alternatives to the embodiments of the present invention described herein may be employed in the practice of the present invention. It is therefore contemplated that the present invention shall cover any such alternatives, modifications, variations, or equivalents. It is intended that the following claims define the scope of the present invention, and that methods and structures within the scope of these claims, and their equivalents, are covered thereby.

Claims

1. 1. A method for generating carbon particles, comprising: (a) providing a silicon-containing additive and a carbonaceous material to a reactor, wherein the silicon-containing additive is provided to the reactor at a weight ratio of the silicon-containing additive to the carbonaceous material that is less than or equal to 0.1; (b) contacting the carbonaceous material with the silicon-containing additive in the reactor to generate the carbon particles; A method comprising:

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the carbon particles comprise at least one silicon core modified with carbon.

3. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein in (a), the ratio of the silicon-containing additive to the carbonaceous material is less than or equal to 0.01 by weight.

4. 4. The method of claim 3, wherein in (a), the ratio of the silicon-containing additive to the carbonaceous material is less than or equal to 0.001 by weight.

5. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein (b) comprises reacting the carbonaceous material with the silicon-containing additive to generate a plurality of carbon particles.

6. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein after (b), an amount equal to or less than 5 weight percent of the carbonaceous material provided to the reactor is present as wall fouling within the reactor.

7. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein greater than 90% of the carbonaceous material is converted to the plurality of carbon particles, based on weight percent of carbon.

8. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein (b) comprises: (i) heating a heat transfer gas; and (ii) contacting the heat transfer gas with the carbonaceous material and the silicon-containing additive to generate the carbon particles.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the silicon-containing additive comprises one or more of a siloxane, a polysiloxane, a silane, and a silica.

10. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the silicon-containing additive comprises the siloxane, and the siloxane is hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO) or decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D5).

11. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the silicon-containing additive comprises one or more nanoparticles having dimensions less than about 1 micrometer (μm).

12. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the carbonaceous material comprises one or more straight chain hydrocarbons, one or more aromatic hydrocarbons, one or more unsaturated hydrocarbons, one or more oxygenated hydrocarbons, or any combination thereof.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising reacting the carbonaceous material with the silicon-containing additive in the presence of a plasma.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein in (b), the contacting is for generating carbon particles at a carbon particle generation rate of at least 600 kilograms per hour (kg / hr).

15. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the energy used to produce the carbon particles is reduced by at least 5% compared to a method without the addition of the silicon-containing additive.

16. Carbon particles containing structure, wherein the ash containing structure produced from the carbon particles via ASTM D1506 has a density of at least 100 square meters (m) per gram. ２ / g) surface area of ​​carbon particles.

17. The carbon particles of claim 16, wherein the carbon particles are carbon black.

18. The carbon particle of claim 16 , wherein the structure comprises silicon.

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