Flame-synthesis limits of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are measured using a double-faced wall stagnation flow (DWSF) burner that shows potential in mass production of CNTs. With nitrogen-diluted premixed ethylene-air flames established on the nickel-coated stainless steel double-faced plate wall, the limits of CNT formation are determined using field-emission scanning and transmission electron microscopies and Raman spectroscopy. Also, self-catalytic behavior of the synthesized CNTs is evaluated using the DWSF burner with a CNT-deposited stainless steel double-faced plate wall. Results show narrow fuel-equivalence ratio limits of multi-walled CNT (MWCNT)-synthesis at high flame stretch rates and substantially extended limits at low flame stretch rates. This implies that the synthesis limits are very sensitive to the fuel-equivalence ratio variation for the high stretch rate conditions, yielding a lot of impurities and soot rather than MWCNTs. The enhanced ratio of tube inner diameter to wall thickness of the MWCNTs synthesized using a CNT self-catalytic flame-synthesis process is observed, indicating that the quality of metal-catalytic, flame-synthesized MWCNTs can be much improved via the process. Thus, using a DWSF burner with the CNT self-catalytic process has potential in mass production of MWCNTs with improved quality. (C) 2009 The Combustion Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.