Production of carbon nanotubes is an area with extremely high economic potential. Numerous potential applications for these materials, include: nanometer sized semiconductor components and devices, field emission displays, hydrogen storage, sensors, energy storage and energy conversion devices, catalysts, and conductive and high strength composites. Carbon nanotubes, are extremely valuable products for which there are currently no efficient methods of high volume production, particularly for the production of single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT). A secondary commercial application of the innovation will be as a means for the production of hydrogen with extremely low CO contamination for use in fuel cells. The NASA application will be as Flight Hardware for deployment in support of future long duration exploration objectives such as a lunar base, Mars transit or Mars base. The primary application will be for the recovery of hydrogen lost in the Sabatier process for CO2 reduction to produce water in Advanced Life Support systems. Secondarily, this process may also be used in conjunction with a Sabatier reactor employed for propellant and fuel production from Martian atmospheric CO2. This process will also produce carbon nanotubes which may be employed for adsorption or catalytic destruction of toxic airborne or waterborne contaminants.
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