| abstract |
A discrete cylindrical carbon fibril characterized by a constant essentric diameter between about 3.5 and about 70 manometers, for example between about 7 to 25 manometers, the length of which is greater than about 102 times the diameter, an outer region of essentially continuous layers and multiples of ordered carbon atoms and a separate interior central region, each of the layers and the core being arranged concentrically around the cylindrical axis of the fibril. Preferably the entire fibril is essentially free from a layer of thermal carbon coating. The invention further relates to a plurality of these fibrils. The fibril, or plurality of fibrils, of this invention can be produced by contacting for a suitable period and at a suitable pressure a suitable metal-containing particle with a suitable gaseous compound containing carbon, at a temperature between about 850o C and 1200o C, the ratio, on a dry weight basis, between the carbon-containing compound, and the metal-containing particle being at least about 100: 1. |