Synthesis of Nanodiamonds from Fuel Oil Processing Products Using an Arc Discharge

This work presents the results of a two-stage experimental study on the synthesis of carbon nanostructures from liquid hydrocarbons. At the first stage, fullerene soot and carbon micro- and nanostructures are synthesized on the electrode upon initiation of a microarc discharge in liquid hydrocarbons. At the second stage, an electrode with carbon micro- and nanostructures is used as an anode of an arc discharge in argon at a pressure of 500 Torr. During arc initiation, at the second stage, active evaporation of atomic carbon from the anode and synthesis of nanostructures at the molybdenum cathode are observed. The results of electron microscopy studies showed the presence of nanotubes and nanodiamonds at the cathode.