Carbon nanotube collection device, carbon nanotube manufacturing device, and carbone nanotube collection method

Abstract

A carbon nanotube collection device for collecting carbon nanotubes produced by a carbon nanotube production device, said carbon nanotube collection device comprising: a collection chamber for collecting carbon nanotubes in a collection basket, an introduction chamber for introducing an empty collection basket into the collection chamber, and an extraction chamber for extracting a collection box in which carbon nanotubes have been collected from the collection chamber, and further comprising an introduction-side door for isolating the collection chamber and the introduction chamber, and an extraction-side door for isolating the collection chamber and the extraction chamber.

Description

Carbon nanotube recovery device, carbon nanotube production device, and carbon nanotube recovery method

[0001] The present invention relates to a carbon nanotube recovery device for recovering carbon nanotubes, a carbon nanotube production apparatus having the carbon nanotube recovery device, and a carbon nanotube recovery method.

[0002] Carbon nanotubes are a new material that has attracted attention in many fields due to their excellent properties such as electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and mechanical strength. Patent Document 1 discloses a carbon nanotube manufacturing apparatus that uses a chemical vapor deposition method (i.e., a CVD method) to produce carbon nanotubes by thermally decomposing a carbon-containing raw material (carbon source).

[0003] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses that a carbon nanotube recovery device is provided in or near the recovery section of a reactor in which carbon nanotubes are produced by a CVD method. The recovery device described in Patent Document 2 rotates a winding member that winds up the carbon nanotubes to form a roll, and recovers the carbon nanotubes by removing the roll from an outlet provided in the recovery section.

[0004] JP 2019-064918 A JP 2004-190166 A

[0005] In the apparatus for recovering fine carbon fibers described in Patent Document 2, a winding member is provided in or near the recovery section of a reactor for chemical pyrolysis, and the winding member is rotated to wind the fine carbon fibers into a roll, forming a fine carbon fiber wound body, which is then recovered as a fine carbon fiber wound body. Then, when the fine carbon fiber wound body reaches a predetermined diameter, the wound body is removed from an outlet provided in the recovery section. Therefore, every time one fine carbon fiber wound body is produced, the fine carbon fiber production device must be stopped, and the reactor and recovery section must be cooled to room temperature to recover the produced wound body. Furthermore, when the production of the fine carbon fiber is resumed, the atmospheric temperature in the reactor must be raised to a temperature suitable for producing the fine carbon fiber.

[0006] That is, in the apparatus for recovering fine carbon fibers described in Patent Document 2, the temperature of the reactor needs to be lowered and then raised again every time the fine carbon fibers are recovered, which lengthens the time during which the reactor cannot produce the fine carbon fibers, and therefore it takes a long time to mass-produce the fine carbon fibers.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a carbon nanotube recovery device, a carbon nanotube production device, and a carbon nanotube recovery method that can improve the operating efficiency of mass production of carbon nanotubes.

[0008] One aspect of the present invention that solves the above problem is a carbon nanotube recovery device that recovers carbon nanotubes produced in a carbon nanotube generation device, comprising a recovery chamber that recovers carbon nanotubes into a recovery basket, an input chamber that loads empty recovery baskets into the recovery chamber, and an output chamber that loads recovery baskets that have recovered carbon nanotubes from the recovery chamber, and is characterized by comprising an input door that separates the recovery chamber from the input chamber, and an output door that separates the recovery chamber from the output chamber.

[0009] In this carbon nanotube recovery device, the discharge chamber may be provided with a compression mechanism for compressing the carbon nanotubes recovered in the recovery basket. The device may also be provided with a recovery basket circulation mechanism for removing carbon nanotubes from the recovery basket that has been discharged from the discharge chamber and has recovered carbon nanotubes, and for transporting the empty recovery basket to the load chamber. The device may also be provided with a transport mechanism for transporting the recovery basket between the recovery chamber, the load chamber, the discharge chamber, and the circulation mechanism.

[0010] Another aspect of the present invention is a carbon nanotube recovery device that recovers carbon nanotubes produced in a carbon nanotube production device, comprising a recovery chamber in which carbon nanotubes are recovered into a recovery basket, and a loading / unloading chamber in which empty recovery baskets are transported into the recovery chamber and recovery baskets containing recovered carbon nanotubes are transported out of the recovery chamber, and is characterized by comprising an loading / unloading door that separates the recovery chamber from the loading / unloading chamber.

[0011] In this carbon nanotube recovery device, the loading / unloading chamber may be provided with a compression mechanism for compressing the carbon nanotubes recovered in the recovery basket. The device may also be provided with a recovery basket circulation mechanism for removing carbon nanotubes from a recovery basket that has been unloaded from the loading / unloading chamber and then loading the empty recovery basket into the loading / unloading chamber. The device may also be provided with a transport mechanism for transporting recovery baskets between the recovery chamber, the loading / unloading chamber, and the circulation mechanism.

[0012] Another aspect of the present invention is characterized by comprising a carbon nanotube production apparatus and the carbon nanotube recovery apparatus described above.

[0013] Another aspect of the present invention is a carbon nanotube recovery method for recovering carbon nanotubes using the above-mentioned carbon nanotube recovery device, characterized in that the operation of recovering carbon nanotubes into a recovery basket in the recovery chamber and the operation of compressing the carbon nanotubes recovered in the recovery basket in the discharge chamber are repeatedly performed.

[0014] Another aspect of the present invention is a carbon nanotube recovery method for recovering carbon nanotubes using the above-mentioned carbon nanotube recovery device, characterized in that the operation of recovering carbon nanotubes into a recovery basket in the recovery chamber and the operation of compressing the carbon nanotubes recovered in the recovery basket in the loading / unloading chamber are repeatedly performed.

[0015] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a carbon nanotube recovery apparatus, a carbon nanotube production apparatus, and a carbon nanotube recovery method that can improve the operating efficiency of mass production of carbon nanotubes.

[0016] Fig. 1 is a front view showing a schematic configuration of a carbon nanotube production apparatus according to a first embodiment; Fig. 2 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a carbon nanotube production apparatus according to the first embodiment; Fig. 3 is an explanatory view for explaining a carbon nanotube winding structure; Fig. 4 is an explanatory view showing a state in which the winding member has moved to a pull-out position; Fig. 5 is a front view showing a schematic configuration of a carbon nanotube production apparatus according to a second embodiment; Fig. 6 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a carbon nanotube production apparatus according to the second embodiment;

[0017] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In this specification and the drawings, elements having substantially the same functional configuration are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted. In this specification, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are tubular carbon allotropes (typically cylindrical structures with graphite structures), and include so-called single-walled CNTs, multi-walled CNTs, and carbon nanohorns with angular tube tips.

[0018] 1 and 2, a CNT manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment includes a generation device 2 that generates CNTs, a winding chamber 3 that is disposed below the CNT generation device 2 and that winds up the CNTs generated by the generation device 2, and a recovery device 4 that recovers the CNT wound body R that has been wound up in the winding chamber 3. Note that the "X direction" in the drawings is the depth direction of the CNT manufacturing apparatus 1 (the conveyance direction of the recovery basket 40), the "Y direction" is the width direction of the CNT manufacturing apparatus 1, and the "Z direction" is the height direction of the CNT manufacturing apparatus 1. The directions X to Z are perpendicular to each other.

[0019] <Carbon Nanotube Generator> There are no particular limitations on the configuration of the generator 2 as long as it can generate CNTs. For this reason, as the generator 2, for example, devices using a chemical vapor deposition method (i.e., a CVD method) that generates CNTs by thermally decomposing a carbon-containing source gas, as described in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, can be applied.

[0020] The production device 2 illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 includes a reactor 21, a heater 22 provided on the side of the reactor 21, and a raw material supply port 23 for supplying raw materials for CNT production to the reactor 21.

[0021] The shape of the reactor 21 is not limited, but is preferably a straight tube (i.e., a shape with a linear axis). The cross-sectional shape of the reactor 21 may be a rounded shape such as a circle, an ellipse, an egg, or an oval, or a polygon.

[0022] The shape and heating method of the heater 22 are not particularly limited as long as they can heat the reactor 21 to a temperature suitable for producing CNTs. The heater 22 may be capable of heating the reactor 21 to, for example, 500°C to 2000°C, preferably 1000°C to 1600°C. Specific examples of the heater 22 include a tungsten heater capable of heating the reactor 21 to 500°C to 2000°C, or a silicon carbide heater (SiC heater) capable of heating the reactor 21 to 600°C to 1600°C.

[0023] A carrier gas (for example, hydrogen gas) is supplied to the raw material supply port 23 together with raw material gases such as a carbon source, a catalytic metal, or a catalytic metal compound.

[0024] 3 and 4, an opening 31 is provided in the ceiling of the winding chamber 3, which opens into the lower end of the reactor 21 of the production device 2. The CNTs produced in the reactor 21 are transported into the winding chamber 3 through the opening 31 together with a carrier gas.

[0025] A winding mechanism 32 for winding up the CNTs is provided on the side of the winding chamber 3. The winding mechanism 32 has a rotating shaft 33, a winding member , and a drive unit .

[0026] The rotating shaft 33 is, for example, a columnar or cylindrical member, and is arranged so that its rotation direction faces the horizontal direction (the X direction in this embodiment). The rotating shaft 33 is provided so as to penetrate the side portion of the winding chamber 3, and a portion of the rotating shaft 33 protrudes into the winding chamber 3.

[0027] The winding member 34 is a member that extends in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 33, and is composed of, for example, a columnar or cylindrical roller. The base end of the winding member 34 is attached to the tip of the rotating shaft 33 (the end on the winding chamber 3 side). The installation position of the winding member 34 is not particularly limited, and it may be installed in a position where it can come into contact with the CNTs that have passed through the opening 31.

[0028] The drive unit 35 is provided outside the winding chamber 3. For example, a motor or the like is used as the drive unit 35. The rotating shaft 33 to which the winding member 34 is attached is connected to the drive unit 35, and when the rotating shaft 33 is rotated by the drive unit 35, the winding member 34 also rotates integrally with the rotating shaft 33. The rotation speed of the rotating shaft 33 is set appropriately depending on the CNT production rate and the desired size of the CNT wound body R, and is set to, for example, 0.01 to 500 rpm.

[0029] A separation mechanism 36 is also provided outside the winding chamber 3, which separates the CNT wound body R formed on the winding member 34. The separation mechanism 36 is a mechanism that moves the rotating shaft 33, winding member 34, and drive unit 35 in a direction from the inside to the outside of the winding chamber 3. In other words, the separation mechanism 36 is a mechanism that moves the winding member 34 in a direction that pulls it out of the winding chamber 3, and this separation mechanism 36 can move the rotating shaft 33 and winding member 34 from the tip end side to the base end side of the winding member 34.

[0030] In this embodiment, a cylinder mechanism 37 is provided outside the winding chamber 3 as an example of the separation mechanism 36. The winding member 34 moves between a position where the CNTs are wound (winding position) shown in Fig. 3 and a position where the CNT wound body R is separated from the winding member 34 (extraction position) shown in Fig. 4 by the expansion and contraction of the cylinder mechanism 37. In other words, the winding member 34 can move in a direction approaching or moving away from the side surface of the winding chamber 3.

[0031] In the recovery device 4 having the separation mechanism 36 described above, after the CNT wound body R is formed by the winding member 34 at the winding position, the winding member 34 is retracted to the extraction position, whereby the CNT wound body R comes into contact with the inner surface of the side of the winding chamber 3. Then, by further retracting the winding member 34 in this state, the inner peripheral surface of the CNT wound body R becomes unsupported by the winding member 34. As a result, the CNT wound body R falls off the winding member 34, and the CNT wound body R and the winding member 34 are separated. The winding member 34 then advances from the extraction position to the winding position, and winding of CNTs to form the next CNT wound body R begins.

[0032] It is not essential to provide a CNT winding structure in the CNT production apparatus 1. If a winding structure is not provided, the CNT production apparatus 1 is configured, for example, by directly connecting the recovery device 4, which will be described later, to the lower end of the production device 2.

[0033] <Carbon nanotube recovery device> As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the recovery device 4 is equipped with a recovery chamber 41 that recovers carbon nanotubes in the form of CNT wound bodies R into a recovery basket 40, a loading chamber 42 that loads empty recovery baskets 40 into the recovery chamber 41, and an unloading chamber 43 that unloads recovery baskets 40 that have recovered CNT wound bodies R (carbon nanotubes) from the recovery chamber 41.

[0034] The collection basket 40 is a mesh-like basket with multiple openings formed therein that can store the CNT wound body R, and can be freely stored in each of the collection chamber 41, the carry-in chamber 42, and the carry-out chamber 43. The material of the collection basket 40 is not particularly limited as long as it has heat resistance to the heat of the CNT wound body R that has dropped into the collection basket 40, but a metal material, for example, is used.

[0035] An opening 45 that communicates with the winding chamber 3 is provided in the ceiling portion of the recovery chamber 41. The opening 45 has a shape that allows the CNT wound body R formed in the winding chamber 3 to pass through. As described above, the winding chamber 3 communicates with the reactor 21 of the production device 2 via the opening 31, and therefore, in other words, the opening 45 of the recovery chamber 41 that communicates with the winding chamber 3 is an opening that communicates with the production device 2.

[0036] An entrance door 46 is provided between the recovery chamber 41 and the carry-in chamber 42 to isolate the two chambers. The entrance door 46 is housed in a casing 47 so as to be able to rise and fall freely, and is configured to be raised and lowered within the casing 47 by an elevator mechanism 48, such as a cylinder device, provided above the casing 47. When the elevator mechanism 48 is extended to lower the entrance door 46 as shown by the solid line in Figure 1, the atmosphere between the recovery chamber 41 and the carry-in chamber 42 is isolated. On the other hand, when the elevator mechanism 48 is retracted to raise the entrance door 46 as shown by the dashed line in Figure 1, the recovery chamber 41 and the carry-in chamber 42 are connected to each other.

[0037] Similarly, an exit door 50 is provided between the recovery chamber 41 and the discharge chamber 43 to isolate the two chambers. The exit door 50 is housed in a casing 51 so as to be able to rise and fall freely, and is raised and lowered within the casing 51 by an elevator mechanism 52, such as a cylinder device, provided above the casing 51. When the elevator mechanism 52 is extended to lower the exit door 50 as shown by the solid line in Fig. 1, the atmosphere between the recovery chamber 41 and the discharge chamber 43 is isolated. On the other hand, when the elevator mechanism 52 is retracted to raise the exit door 50 as shown by the dashed line in Fig. 1, the recovery chamber 41 and the discharge chamber 43 are connected to each other.

[0038] Furthermore, an entrance door 55 is provided on the side of the loading chamber 42 opposite the recovery chamber 41, blocking off communication between the outside and the loading chamber 42. The entrance door 55 is housed in a casing 56 so that it can be raised and lowered, and is raised and lowered within the casing 56 by an elevator mechanism 57, such as a cylinder device, provided above the casing 56. When the elevator mechanism 57 is extended to lower the entrance door 55 as shown by the solid line in Figure 1, the atmosphere between the outside and the loading chamber 42 is blocked off. On the other hand, when the elevator mechanism 57 is retracted to raise the entrance door 55 as shown by the dashed line in Figure 1, communication between the outside and the loading chamber 42 is established.

[0039] Similarly, an exit door 60 is provided on the side of the unloading chamber 43 opposite the recovery chamber 41, blocking communication between the outside and the unloading chamber 43. The exit door 60 is housed in a casing 61 so as to be able to move up and down freely, and is configured to be raised and lowered within the casing 61 by an elevating mechanism 62, such as a cylinder device, provided above the casing 61. When the elevating mechanism 62 is extended to lower the exit door 60 as shown by the solid line in Fig. 1, the atmosphere between the outside and the unloading chamber 43 is blocked off. On the other hand, when the elevating mechanism 62 is retracted to raise the exit door 60 as shown by the dashed line in Fig. 1, communication between the outside and the unloading chamber 43 is established.

[0040] An exhaust port 65 is provided at the bottom of the recovery chamber 41 to exhaust the atmosphere inside the recovery chamber 41. Gases supplied into the recovery chamber 41 from the reaction furnace 21 and the winding chamber 3 are exhausted through this exhaust port 65. By using the mesh-like recovery basket 40 described above, the gas exhausted from the exhaust port 65 of the recovery chamber 41 can capture CNTs that have fallen without being wound up by the winding member 34, enabling environmentally friendly operation with improved exhaust gas cleanliness.

[0041] A supply port 66 for a replacement gas such as a non-flammable gas is provided at the top of the carry-in chamber 42. An exhaust port 67 for discharging the atmosphere inside the carry-in chamber 42 is provided at the bottom of the carry-in chamber 42. By supplying a replacement gas into the carry-in chamber 42 from the supply port 66 and discharging it from the exhaust port 67, the inside of the carry-in chamber 42 can be maintained in an inert atmosphere.

[0042] Similarly, a supply port 68 for a replacement gas such as a non-flammable gas is provided at the top of the carry-out chamber 43. An exhaust port 69 for discharging the atmosphere inside the carry-out chamber 43 is provided at the bottom of the carry-out chamber 43. By supplying a replacement gas into the carry-out chamber 43 from the supply port 68 and discharging it from the exhaust port 69, the inside of the carry-out chamber 43 can be maintained in an inert atmosphere.

[0043] A compression mechanism 70 for compressing the CNTs is provided in the carry-out chamber 43. This compression mechanism 70 has a press plate 71 as a pressing member and a drive unit 72 connected to the press plate 71.

[0044] The push plate 71 has a size that allows it to be inserted into the collecting basket 40, and is configured to be raised and lowered by a drive unit 72. In other words, the push plate 71 can move up and down within the carry-out chamber 43, as shown by the dashed-dotted line in Fig. 1, between a position where it descends into the collecting basket 40 to compress the CNT wound body R (lowered position), and a position where it has moved above the collecting basket 40 (retracted position).

[0045] The recovery device 4 is equipped with a recovery basket circulation mechanism 5 that removes the CNT wound body R from the recovery basket 40 that has recovered the CNT wound body R and been carried out from the carry-out chamber 43, and carries the empty recovery basket 40 into the carry-in chamber 42. The recovery basket circulation mechanism 5 has an unloading stage 75 arranged near the carry-out chamber 43, an unloading stage 76 arranged near the carry-in chamber 42, and a transport path 77 that transports the recovery basket 40 from the unloading stage 75 to the unloading stage 76. In the recovery basket circulation mechanism 5, the CNT wound body R is removed from the recovery basket 40 at the unloading stage 75, and then the empty recovery basket 40 is transferred to the transport path 77. The recovery basket 40 is then transferred to the unloading stage 76 via the transport path 77.

[0046] The CNT production apparatus 1 according to this embodiment is configured as described above. The materials of the components constituting the CNT production apparatus 1 are not particularly limited as long as they do not inhibit the development of the effects described in this specification, but stainless steel and general structural rolled steel (SS material) are used, for example. Furthermore, of the components constituting the CNT production apparatus 1, those with which the CNTs may come into contact may be coated with Teflon (registered trademark).

[0047] (Carbon Nanotube Recovery Method) Next, a description will be given of an example of a CNT recovery method using the recovery device 4. Of the operations described below, such as supplying and stopping each gas, opening and closing each door, and transporting the recovery basket 40, those that can be performed automatically may be performed automatically via a control unit (not shown) or manually by an operator.

[0048] First, in the production apparatus 2, a carrier gas (e.g., hydrogen gas) is supplied to the reactor 21 along with raw material gases such as a carbon source, catalytic metal, or catalytic metal compound. These are then heated by the heater 22 to produce CNTs. The CNTs thus produced are transported together with the carrier gas through the opening 31 into the winding chamber 3. In the winding chamber 3, a CNT wound body R is formed by the winding member 34 at the winding position. The winding member 34 is then retracted, so that the inner peripheral surface of the CNT wound body R is no longer supported by the winding member 34. This causes the CNT wound body R to fall off the winding member 34, and the CNT wound body R and the winding member 34 are separated. The winding member 34 then advances from the extraction position to the winding position, and winding of CNTs to form the next CNT wound body R begins.

[0049] Then, in the winding chamber 3, the CNT wound body R that has separated from the winding member 34 and fallen off drops into the recovery chamber 41 of the recovery device 4 arranged below the winding chamber 3, and falls into a recovery basket 40 that has been installed in advance in the recovery chamber 41, where it is recovered. In this way, the CNTs are repeatedly wound and separated in the upper winding chamber 3, and the CNT wound body R is sequentially recovered into the recovery basket 40 installed in the recovery chamber 41. Note that, at the stage where the CNT wound body R is being recovered into the recovery basket 40 installed in the recovery chamber 41 in this way, the entrance door 46 provided between the recovery chamber 41 and the carry-in chamber 42 and the exit door 50 provided between the recovery chamber 41 and the carry-out chamber 43 are both lowered, and the atmosphere between the recovery chamber 41 and the carry-in chamber 42 and the atmosphere between the recovery chamber 41 and the carry-out chamber 43 are both in a blocked state.

[0050] Then, after the collection of CNT wound bodies R into the collection basket 40 installed in the collection chamber 41 has been carried out for a predetermined time, or at the stage when a certain amount of CNT wound bodies R has been collected into the collection basket 40 installed in the collection chamber 41, the exit door 50 provided between the collection chamber 41 and the carry-out chamber 43 rises, and the collection chamber 41 and the carry-out chamber 43 are brought into communication with each other. Before the collection chamber 41 and the carry-out chamber 43 are brought into communication with each other in this manner, a replacement gas is supplied to the carry-out chamber 43 from a supply port 68 provided at the top of the carry-out chamber 43, and the atmosphere inside the carry-out chamber 43 is exhausted from an exhaust port 69 provided at the bottom of the carry-out chamber 43, thereby maintaining the inside of the carry-out chamber 43 as an inert atmosphere.

[0051] Then, the collection basket 40 that has collected the CNT wound body R is carried out from the collection chamber 41 and carried into the carry-out chamber 43, which is maintained in an inert atmosphere. Then, in the carry-out chamber 43, the compression mechanism 70 is operated, causing the push plate 71 to descend into the collection basket 40, and the CNT wound body R is compressed.

[0052] After compressing the CNT wound body R in this way, the collection basket 40 is returned from the carry-out chamber 43 to the collection chamber 41. Then, the collection basket 40 returned to the collection chamber 41 further collects the CNT wound body R that has dropped from the winding chamber 3.

[0053] In this way, the collection of CNT wound bodies R into the collection basket 40 in the collection chamber 41 and the compression of the CNT wound bodies R in the discharge chamber 43 are repeated as appropriate, and when a predetermined amount of CNT wound bodies R is collected into the collection basket 40, the collection of CNT wound bodies R into the collection basket 40 is completed.

[0054] Thereafter, in the carry-out chamber 43, the exit door 60 provided on the side opposite the collection chamber 41 rises, and the carry-out chamber 43 becomes open to the outside. Note that before the carry-out chamber 43 becomes open to the outside in this manner, the exit door 50 provided between the collection chamber 41 and the carry-out chamber 43 descends, and the atmosphere between the collection chamber 41 and the carry-out chamber 43 becomes isolated. At this time, the heater 22 ( FIG. 1 ) of the production device 2 is not stopped, and the atmospheric temperatures in the reaction furnace 21 and the winding chamber 3 are maintained at temperatures suitable for producing CNTs.

[0055] Then, the collection basket 40, which has finished collecting the CNT wound body R, is carried out from the carry-out chamber 43 and carried into the carry-out stage 75 of the collection basket circulation mechanism 5. Then, at the carry-out stage 75 of the collection basket circulation mechanism 5, the CNT wound body R is taken out of the collection basket 40, and the taken-out CNT wound body R is moved to the next process as appropriate.

[0056] Meanwhile, the collection basket 40, which has been emptied by removing the CNT winding body R at the discharge stage 75 of the collection basket circulation mechanism 5, is transferred to the conveying path 77, and the collection basket 40 is transferred via the conveying path 77 to the carry-in stage 76.

[0057] Meanwhile, after the collection basket 40 that has finished collecting the CNT wound body R is transported from the collection chamber 41 to the carry-out chamber 43, the next empty collection basket 40 is carried from the carry-in chamber 42 to the collection chamber 41.

[0058] That is, when collection basket 40, which has finished collecting CNT wound body R, is transported from collection chamber 41 to carry-out chamber 43, entrance door 46 provided between collection chamber 41 and carry-in chamber 42 rises, thereby establishing communication between collection chamber 41 and carry-in chamber 42. Before collection chamber 41 and carry-in chamber 42 are thus established, a replacement gas is supplied to carry-in chamber 42 from supply port 66 provided at the top of carry-in chamber 42, and the atmosphere inside carry-in chamber 42 is exhausted from exhaust port 67 provided at the bottom of carry-in chamber 42, thereby maintaining an inert atmosphere inside carry-in chamber 42.

[0059] Then, the empty collection basket 40 is carried out from the carry-in chamber 42, which is maintained in an inert atmosphere, and carried into the collection chamber 41. When the empty collection basket 40 is carried into the collection chamber 41 in this way, the entrance door 46 provided between the collection chamber 41 and the carry-in chamber 42 is lowered, and the atmosphere between the collection chamber 41 and the carry-in chamber 42 is cut off. Then, in the collection chamber 41, the CNT winding body R that has dropped from the winding chamber 3 is collected into the collection basket 40.

[0060] Furthermore, the next collection basket 40 is carried into the carry-in chamber 42. That is, after the collection basket 40 is carried out from the carry-in chamber 42 to the collection chamber 41, the entrance door 46 provided between the collection chamber 41 and the carry-in chamber 42 descends, and the atmosphere between the collection chamber 41 and the carry-in chamber 42 is blocked. Then, the entrance door 55 provided on the side of the carry-in chamber 42 opposite the recovery chamber 41 ascends, and the carry-in chamber 42 is opened to the outside. Before the outside and the carry-in chamber 42 are opened to each other in this manner, a replacement gas is supplied to the carry-in chamber 42 from a supply port 66 provided at the top of the carry-in chamber 42, and the atmosphere inside the carry-in chamber 42 is exhausted from an exhaust port 67 provided at the bottom of the carry-in chamber 42, thereby maintaining an inert atmosphere inside the carry-in chamber 42.

[0061] Then, the next empty collection basket 40 is carried into the carry-in chamber 42 from the carry-in stage 76 of the collection basket circulation mechanism 5 .

[0062] By continuously repeating the above steps, it is possible to continuously produce CNTs in the production device 2, wind and separate the CNTs in the winding chamber 3, and collect the CNT wound body R in the collection chamber 41.

[0063] In the CNT recovery method according to the present embodiment described above, it is possible to omit the heating process for CNT generation that was conventionally required after the completion of CNT recovery work. As a result, it is possible to shorten the time from the completion of CNT recovery work to the resumption of CNT generation, and it is also possible to shorten the time until mass production of CNTs.

[0064] 5 and 6, a CNT manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment includes a generator 2 that generates CNTs, a winding chamber 3 that is disposed below the CNT generator 2 and that winds up the CNTs generated by the generator 2, and a recovery device 6 that recovers the CNT wound body R that has been wound up in the winding chamber 3. Note that the configurations of the generator 2 and the winding chamber 3 are the same as those of the CNT manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment described above, and therefore a description of the generator 2 and the winding chamber 3 will be omitted.

[0065] <Carbon nanotube recovery device> The recovery device 6 according to the second embodiment includes a recovery chamber 80 that recovers carbon nanotubes in the form of CNT wound bodies R into a recovery basket 40, and a loading / unloading chamber 81 that loads an empty recovery basket 40 into the recovery chamber 80 and unloads the recovery basket 40 from which the CNT wound bodies R (carbon nanotubes) have been recovered.

[0066] An opening 82 that communicates with the winding chamber 3 is provided in the top surface of the recovery chamber 80. The opening 82 has a shape that allows the CNT wound body R formed in the winding chamber 3 to pass through.

[0067] An entrance / exit door 85 is provided between the recovery chamber 80 and the load / unload chamber 81 to isolate the two chambers. The entrance / exit door 85 is housed in a casing 86 so as to be able to rise and fall freely, and is configured to be raised and lowered within the casing 86 by an elevator mechanism 87, such as a cylinder device, provided above the casing 86. When the elevator mechanism 87 is extended to lower the entrance / exit door 85 as shown by the solid line in Figure 5, the atmosphere between the recovery chamber 80 and the load / unload chamber 81 is isolated. On the other hand, when the elevator mechanism 87 is retracted to raise the entrance / exit door 85 as shown by the dashed line in Figure 5, the recovery chamber 80 and the load / unload chamber 81 are connected to each other.

[0068] Furthermore, an entrance / exit door 90 is provided on the side of the loading / unloading chamber 81 opposite the recovery chamber 80, blocking off communication between the outside and the loading / unloading chamber 81. The entrance / exit door 90 is housed in the casing 91 so that it can be raised and lowered, and is raised and lowered within the casing 91 by an elevator mechanism 92, such as a cylinder device, provided above the casing 91. When the elevator mechanism 92 is extended, the entrance / exit door 90 is lowered as shown by the solid line in Figure 5, thereby blocking off communication between the outside and the loading / unloading chamber 81. On the other hand, when the elevator mechanism 92 is retracted, the entrance / exit door 90 is raised as shown by the dashed line in Figure 5, thereby opening communication between the outside and the loading / unloading chamber 81.

[0069] An exhaust port 95 is provided at the bottom of the recovery chamber 80 to exhaust the atmosphere inside the recovery chamber 80. Gases supplied into the recovery chamber 80 from the reaction furnace 21 and the winding chamber 3 are exhausted through this exhaust port 95. By using the mesh-like recovery basket 40 described above, the gas exhausted from the exhaust port 95 of the recovery chamber 80 can capture CNTs that have fallen without being wound up by the winding member 34, enabling environmentally friendly operation with improved exhaust gas cleanliness.

[0070] A supply port 96 for a replacement gas such as a non-flammable gas is provided at the top of the load / unload chamber 81. An exhaust port 97 for discharging the atmosphere inside the load / unload chamber 81 is provided at the bottom of the load / unload chamber 81. By supplying a replacement gas into the load / unload chamber 81 from the supply port 96 and discharging it from the exhaust port 97, the inside of the load / unload chamber 81 can be maintained in an inert atmosphere.

[0071] A compression mechanism 100 for compressing the CNTs is provided in the carry-in / out chamber 81. This compression mechanism 100 has a press plate 101 as a pressing member and a drive unit 102 connected to the press plate 101.

[0072] The push plate 101 has a size that allows it to be inserted into the collection basket 40, and is configured to be raised and lowered by a drive unit 102. In other words, within the carry-in / out chamber 81, the push plate 101 is capable of moving up and down between a position where it descends into the collection basket 40 to compress the CNT wound body R (lowered position), and a position where it has moved above the collection basket 40 (retracted position), as shown by the dashed-dotted line in Fig. 5 .

[0073] The recovery device 6 is equipped with a recovery basket circulation mechanism 7 that removes the CNT wound body R from the recovery basket 40 that has recovered the CNT wound body R and that has been carried out from the carry-in / out chamber 81, and carries the empty recovery basket 40 into the carry-in / out chamber 81.

[0074] The CNT production apparatus 1 according to this embodiment is configured as described above. The materials of the components constituting the CNT production apparatus 1 are not particularly limited as long as they do not inhibit the development of the effects described in this specification, but stainless steel and general structural rolled steel (SS material) are used, for example. Furthermore, of the components constituting the CNT production apparatus 1, those with which the CNTs may come into contact may be coated with Teflon (registered trademark).

[0075] (Carbon Nanotube Recovery Method) Next, a description will be given of an example of a CNT recovery method using the recovery device 4. Of the operations described below, such as supplying and stopping each gas, opening and closing each door, and transporting the recovery basket 40, those that can be performed automatically may be performed automatically via a control unit (not shown) or manually by an operator.

[0076] First, in the production apparatus 2, a carrier gas (e.g., hydrogen gas) is supplied to the reactor 21 along with raw material gases such as a carbon source, catalytic metal, or catalytic metal compound. These are then heated by the heater 22 to produce CNTs. The CNTs thus produced are transported together with the carrier gas through the opening 31 into the winding chamber 3. In the winding chamber 3, a CNT wound body R is formed by the winding member 34 at the winding position. The winding member 34 is then retracted, so that the inner peripheral surface of the CNT wound body R is no longer supported by the winding member 34. This causes the CNT wound body R to fall off the winding member 34, and the CNT wound body R and the winding member 34 are separated. The winding member 34 then advances from the extraction position to the winding position, and winding of CNTs to form the next CNT wound body R begins.

[0077] Then, in the winding chamber 3, the CNT wound body R that has separated from the winding member 34 and fallen off drops into the recovery chamber 80 of the recovery device 6 arranged below the winding chamber 3, and falls into the recovery basket 40 that has been installed in advance in the recovery chamber 80, where it is recovered. In this way, the CNTs are repeatedly wound and separated in the upper winding chamber 3, and the CNT wound body R is successively recovered into the recovery basket 40 installed in the recovery chamber 80. Note that, at the stage where the CNT wound body R is being recovered into the recovery basket 40 installed in the recovery chamber 80 in this way, the entrance / exit door 85 installed between the recovery chamber 80 and the carry-in / out chamber 81 is lowered, and the atmosphere between the recovery chamber 80 and the carry-in / out chamber 81 is shut off.

[0078] Then, after the collection of CNT wound bodies R into the collection basket 40 installed in the collection chamber 80 is carried out for a predetermined time, or at the stage when a certain amount of CNT wound bodies R has been collected into the collection basket 40 installed in the collection chamber 80, the entry / exit door 85 provided between the collection chamber 80 and the carry-in / out chamber 81 rises, and the collection chamber 80 and the carry-in / out chamber 81 are brought into communication with each other. Note that, before the collection chamber 80 and the carry-in / out chamber 81 are brought into communication with each other in this way, a replacement gas is supplied to the carry-in / out chamber 81 from a supply port 96 provided at the top of the carry-in / out chamber 81, and the atmosphere inside the carry-in / out chamber 81 is exhausted from an exhaust port 97 provided at the bottom of the carry-in / out chamber 81, and the inside of the carry-in / out chamber 81 is maintained as an inert atmosphere.

[0079] Then, the collection basket 40 that has collected the CNT wound body R is carried out from the collection chamber 80 and carried into the carry-in / out chamber 81, which is maintained in an inert atmosphere. Then, in the carry-in / out chamber 81, the compression mechanism 100 is operated, causing the push plate 101 to descend into the collection basket 40, and the CNT wound body R is compressed.

[0080] After compressing the CNT wound body R in this way, the collection basket 40 is returned again from the carry-in / out chamber 81 to the collection chamber 80. Then, the collection basket 40 returned to the collection chamber 80 further collects the CNT wound body R that has dropped from the winding chamber 3.

[0081] In this way, the collection of CNT wound bodies R into the collection basket 40 in the collection chamber 80 and the compression of the CNT wound bodies R in the loading / unloading chamber 81 are appropriately repeated until a predetermined amount of CNT wound bodies R is collected into the collection basket 40, and the collection of CNT wound bodies R into the collection basket 40 is completed.

[0082] Thereafter, in the loading / unloading chamber 81, an entrance / exit door 90 provided on the side opposite the recovery chamber 80 rises, and the loading / unloading chamber 81 is now in a state where it is connected to the outside. Note that before the loading / unloading chamber 81 is now in a state where it is connected to the outside, an entrance / exit side door 85 provided between the recovery chamber 80 and the loading / unloading chamber 81 is lowered, and the atmosphere between the recovery chamber 80 and the loading / unloading chamber 81 is now in a state where it is cut off. Also, at this time, the heater 22 of the production device 2 is not stopped, and the atmospheric temperatures in the reaction furnace 21 and the winding chamber 3 are maintained at temperatures suitable for producing CNTs.

[0083] Then, the collection basket 40, which has finished collecting the CNT wound body R, is carried out from the carry-in / out chamber 81 and carried into the collection basket circulation mechanism 7. Then, in the collection basket circulation mechanism 7, the CNT wound body R is removed from the collection basket 40, and the removed CNT wound body R is moved to the next process as appropriate.

[0084] Meanwhile, the collection basket 40 that has been emptied by removing the CNT wound body R in the collection basket circulation mechanism 7 is returned from the collection basket circulation mechanism 7 to the carry-in / out chamber 81. In this case, by preparing another empty collection basket 40 in advance in the collection basket circulation mechanism 7, the collection basket 40 that has finished collecting the CNT wound body R can be carried out from the carry-in / out chamber 81 and carried into the collection basket circulation mechanism 7, and at the same time, the empty collection basket 40 can be returned from the collection basket circulation mechanism 7 to the carry-in / out chamber 81.

[0085] After the empty collection baskets 40 are returned from the collection basket circulation mechanism 7 to the loading / unloading chamber 81 in this manner, the loading / unloading door 90 provided on the side of the loading / unloading chamber 81 opposite the collection chamber 80 is lowered, and the loading / unloading chamber 81 is isolated from the outside. Then, a replacement gas is supplied to the loading / unloading chamber 81 from a supply port 96 provided at the top of the loading / unloading chamber 81, and the atmosphere inside the loading / unloading chamber 81 is exhausted from an exhaust port 97 provided at the bottom of the loading / unloading chamber 81, thereby maintaining an inert atmosphere inside the loading / unloading chamber 81.

[0086] Then, the empty collection basket 40 is carried out from the carry-in / out chamber 81, which is maintained in an inert atmosphere, and carried into the collection chamber 80. When the empty collection basket 40 is carried into the collection chamber 80 in this way, the carry-in / out door 85 provided between the collection chamber 41 and the carry-in / out chamber 81 descends, and the atmosphere between the collection chamber 80 and the carry-in / out chamber 81 is cut off. Then, in the collection chamber 80, the CNT wound body R that dropped from the winding chamber 3 is collected into the collection basket 40.

[0087] By continuously repeating the above steps, it is possible to continuously produce CNTs in the production device 2, wind and separate the CNTs in the winding chamber 3, and collect the CNT wound body R in the collection chamber 80.

[0088] Here, the effects of the CNT recovery method described in the above embodiment will be described. For example, when the CNT production conditions are a CNT production rate of 25 g / hour and a recovery vessel volume of 0.5 m3, 3 If the CNT recovery method described in the above embodiment is not used, the recovery container will be full 15 hours after the start of CNT production. The steps and times required to remove this CNT-filled recovery container are as follows: First, approximately 10 hours are required to cool the heating chamber. Gas replacement in the recovery chamber can be performed simultaneously during this furnace cooling. Next, approximately 2 hours are required to remove the CNT wound body from the recovery chamber, and approximately 2 hours are required to replace the reaction tube and clean the recovery chamber. From this point, approximately 10 hours are required to heat the heating chamber for the next CNT production run, and approximately 1 hour is required to introduce gas and stabilize the atmosphere in the furnace, completing preparations for adding raw materials for the next reaction. In other words, approximately 25 hours are required from the end of one CNT production reaction until the next CNT production reaction can be started. Using the CNT recovery mechanism described in the above embodiment has the advantage of eliminating the aforementioned approximately 25-hour equipment downtime.

[0089] Although there are differences depending on the production conditions and the scale of the equipment, the CNT compression mechanism described in the above embodiment increases the bulk density of the CNT wound body by 1.4 to 5 times (wound body: approximately 0.5 kg / m 3 → Compressed body: Approximately 0.7 to 2.5 kg / m 3) and the amount of waste collected per collection basket can be increased accordingly.

[0090] In the CNT recovery method according to the present embodiment described above, it is possible to omit the heating process for CNT generation that was previously required after the completion of CNT recovery work. As a result, it is possible to shorten the time from the completion of CNT recovery work to the resumption of CNT generation, thereby improving the operating rate of CNT mass production.

[0091] Although the present invention has been described above by way of example, it is understood that the present invention is not limited to such examples. It is clear that a person skilled in the art can conceive of various modifications and alterations within the scope of the technical ideas set forth in the claims, and that such modifications and alterations are also within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0092] Although it is not essential to use the compression mechanisms 70, 100, the use of the compression mechanisms 70, 100 increases the amount of CNT wound body R that can be accommodated in the collection basket 40, allowing for continuous CNT production. This increases the amount of CNT collected per CNT collection run, and also reduces the frequency of the CNT collection process, ensuring a longer CNT production time.

[0093] In particular, CNTs are lightweight and do not collapse under their own weight, and due to the nature of CNTs, CNT wound bodies R do not easily roll on the surfaces of other CNT wound bodies R, and CNTs stored in the collection basket 40 tend to be bulky. For this reason, it is useful to provide a compression mechanism 70.

[0094] Furthermore, the effects described herein are merely descriptive or exemplary and are not limiting. In other words, the technology according to the present disclosure may achieve other effects in addition to or instead of the above-described effects that will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the description herein. While the above describes an example in which carbon nanotubes are recovered as CNT wound bodies R, the present invention is also applicable when carbon nanotubes are recovered in other forms.

[0095] The present invention can be applied to a carbon nanotube recovery device and a carbon nanotube production device.

[0096] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST R CNT wound body (carbon nanotube wound body) 1 CNT production apparatus (carbon nanotube production apparatus) 2 CNT production apparatus (carbon nanotube production apparatus) 3 Winding chamber 4, 6 CNT recovery apparatus (carbon nanotube recovery apparatus) 5, 7 Recovery basket circulation mechanism 21 Reactor 22 Heater 23 Raw material supply port 31 Opening 32 Winding mechanism 33 Rotating shaft 34 Winding member 35 Drive unit 36 ​​Separation mechanism 37 Cylinder mechanism 40 Recovery basket 41 Recovery chamber 42 Loading chamber 43 Loading chamber 45 Opening 46 Inlet door 47 Casing 48 Lifting mechanism 50 Outlet door 51 Casing 52 Lifting mechanism 55 Entrance door 56 Casing 57 Lifting mechanism 60 Exit door 61 Casing 62 Lifting mechanism 65 Exhaust port 66 Supply port 67 Exhaust port 68 Supply port 69 Exhaust port 70 Compression mechanism 71 Push plate 72 Drive unit 75 Unloading stage 76 Loading stage 77 Transport path 80 Recovery chamber 81 Loading / unloading chamber 82 Opening 85 Loading / unloading door 86 Casing 87 Lifting mechanism 90 Loading / unloading door 91 Casing 92 Lifting mechanism 95 Exhaust port 96 Supply port 97 Exhaust port 100 Compression mechanism 101 Push plate 102 Drive unit

Claims

1. A carbon nanotube recovery device for recovering carbon nanotubes produced in a carbon nanotube production device, comprising: a recovery chamber for recovering carbon nanotubes in a recovery basket; an input chamber for loading empty recovery baskets into the recovery chamber; and an output chamber for loading recovery baskets that have recovered carbon nanotubes from the recovery chamber; an input door for separating the recovery chamber from the input chamber; and an output door for separating the recovery chamber from the output chamber.

2. The carbon nanotube recovery device according to claim 1, wherein the discharge chamber is provided with a compression mechanism for compressing the carbon nanotubes recovered in the recovery basket.

3. A carbon nanotube recovery device as described in claim 1, which is equipped with a recovery basket circulation mechanism that removes carbon nanotubes from a recovery basket that has recovered carbon nanotubes and been transported from the discharge chamber, and transports the empty recovery basket into the load chamber.

4. A carbon nanotube recovery device according to claim 3, further comprising a transport mechanism for transporting the recovery basket among the recovery chamber, the carry-in chamber, the carry-out chamber, and the circulation mechanism.

5. A carbon nanotube recovery device for recovering carbon nanotubes produced by a carbon nanotube production device, comprising: a recovery chamber for recovering carbon nanotubes in a recovery basket; a loading / unloading chamber for loading empty recovery baskets into the recovery chamber and unloading recovery baskets containing recovered carbon nanotubes from the recovery chamber; and an loading / unloading door for separating the recovery chamber from the loading / unloading chamber.

6. The carbon nanotube recovery device according to claim 5, wherein the loading / unloading chamber is provided with a compression mechanism for compressing the carbon nanotubes recovered in the recovery basket.

7. A carbon nanotube recovery device as described in claim 5, which is equipped with a recovery basket circulation mechanism that removes carbon nanotubes from a recovery basket that has recovered carbon nanotubes and been transported out of the loading / unloading chamber, and transports the empty recovery basket back into the loading / unloading chamber.

8. The carbon nanotube recovery device according to claim 7, further comprising a transport mechanism for transporting the recovery basket among the recovery chamber, the loading / unloading chamber, and the circulation mechanism.

9. A carbon nanotube production apparatus comprising: a carbon nanotube production apparatus; and a carbon nanotube recovery apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. A carbon nanotube recovery method for recovering carbon nanotubes using the carbon nanotube recovery device described in claim 2, which repeatedly performs the operation of recovering carbon nanotubes in a recovery basket in the recovery chamber and the operation of compressing the carbon nanotubes recovered in the recovery basket in the discharge chamber.

11. A carbon nanotube recovery method for recovering carbon nanotubes using the carbon nanotube recovery device described in claim 6, which repeatedly performs the operation of recovering carbon nanotubes in a recovery basket in the recovery chamber and the operation of compressing the carbon nanotubes recovered in the recovery basket in the loading / unloading chamber.

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