ABSTRACT (inten ae form of ofomenta carbon, Most car on black is produced by the oil furnace process from liquid, aromatic hydrocarbons. Carbon black is used as a reinforcing agent in rubber, a pigment in plastics, inks and coatings, an electrically conductive or UV stabilizing agent in plastics and in a variety of other applications. In select- ing a carbon black for a specific application, key factors to consider are the particle size and structure of the grade. These properties largely dictate the color proporties and the electrical and UV absorbing characteristics of the grade. Also important, for handling and processing rea- sons, is the physical form of the black. The possibilty of Using a surface modified grade should be considered for certain special applications. INTRODUCTION Carbon black is a particulate form of elemental carbon, similar to graphite in its microstructure. Most of the world's carbon black is produced by the oil fumace process and this paper discusses blacks made by this process. In the oil furnace process carbon black is produced by the incom- plete combustion of liquid, aromatic hydrocarbons. The resulting black grades are used in rubber as reinforcing agents and in plastics, printing inks, coatings, sealants and a variety of other products for pigmentation, electrical con- ductivity, rheology control and UV protection. ‘THE OIL FURNACE PROCESS in the oil fumace process, carbon black is produced in a refractory lined reactor. In the reactor, flame is produced from air and natural gas. The carbon black feedstock is atomized into the flame, and the carbon black formation reaction takes place. Downstream from this reaction zone, water is sprayed into the reactor to stop the carbon black formation reaction. At this point, the fundamental properties, of the black have been determined. Different grades of black are produced by altering the reactor geometry, the relative flows of air, gas and feedstock or the position of the water quench ‘Subsequent processing involves additional cooling of the product by passing the gaseous stream that carries the black through a heat exchanger and possibly a secondary water quench. The carbon black is separated from the gas stream by bag fiters. At this point it is a very low density powder that is either densified and packaged in fluffy forrn ‘or further processed into a pelleted form. FUNDAMENTAL PROPERTIES OF CARBON BLACK Particle Size and Surface Area In the carbon formation reaction, the liquid feedstock decomposes, forming carbon radicals and fragments which recombine into essentially spherical primary particles of carbon black. Depending on the grade of black being pro- duced, the average diameter of the primary particles ranges from about 12 nanometers to about 75 nanometers. The corresponding surface areas, per gram of carbon black, range from about 25 square meters for the coarser particle size grades to in excess of 500 square meters for the finest particle size grades. The average particle size is, the most important factor that determines the relative color strength of a grade of carbon black. In the furnace, these primary carbon black particles, coalesce to form larger units, as described below. Aggregate Size and Structure Fumace blacks do not exist as discrete primary parti cles. In the reaction zone of the furnace, the carbon black primary particles fuse together into clusters. These clusters, known as primary aggregates, are the ultimate dispersible Units of carbon black. The extent of primary particle aggre- ‘gation is controlled in the reactor and is called structure. Grades in which the particles are allowed to cluster into rel atively large, complex aggregates are known as high struc- ture grades. Grades where the extent of aggregation is min- imized are known as low structure grades. Higher structure grades, because their aggregates are bulkier and contain more void space than those of lower structure grades, have higher oil absorptions at equal sur- face area. In fact, high structure grades are distinguished from low structure grades by their higher oil absorptions. The oil absorption values of commercially available furnace blacks range from about 45 to about 330 ce per 100 grams of black. Surface Oxidation Fumace blacks contain small quantities of chemis- corbed oxygen on their surfaces. The oxygen exists in the form organic functional groups which include phenols and carboxylic acids, among others. Some grades of black are treated in an oxidative process to increase the amount of oxygen adsorbed on their surfaces. This enhances the per- formance of these blacks in certain applications, as described below. CABOTPERFORMANCE OF CARBON BLACK Effects of Particle Size ‘At equal structure level, finer particle size, higher sur- face are grades impart stronger color, in both masstone and tint, than do lower area grades. The undertone of the high area grades tends to be browner. Higher area grades are more dificult to disperse due to the greater number of contacts between aggregates. They also have a higher vehicle demand than do lower grades and this results in higher viscosity in the final product. ‘Again, at equal structure level, higher area, finer parti- le size blacks are more highly electrically conductive than are their lower area counterparts. Effects of Structure ‘The result is higher viscosity in the final product when, a black of high structure is used in place of a low structure black of similar surface area. Also as a result of higher oll absorption, high structure grades detract from the gloss of a finished product to a greater extent than do low structure grades. The effect of structure on color is slight compared to the effect of surface area but high structure blacks tend to be slightly weaker and bluer in tone than do low structure blacks of equal surface area. Higher structure blacks are easier to disperse than low structure blacks of the same surface area because their larger, bulkier aggregates cannot pack together as tightly. At equal surface area, higher structure blacks exhibit higher electrical conductivity than do lower structure blacks. Effects of Surface Oxidation ‘As mentioned above, some grades of furnace black are post treated to increase the amount of chemisorbed oxygen ‘on their surfaces. in some certain end use applications, particularly certain coatings and printing inks, this improves, the rate of dispersion and dispersion stabilty of the blacks land reduces finished product viscosity ‘Additionally, oxidized blacks are less electrically con- ductive than unoxidized black of the same surface area and structure. Effects of Physical Form Many, though not all, grades of furnace black are avail- able in both a powder, or fluffy form and as beaded or pel- letized products. Pelletized products are easier to store, handle and convey than fluffy blacks. They are cleaner to handle and produce fewer housekeeping problems because they are less dusty. Pellets are also less expen- sive than the corresponding flutfies. The major draw back to the use of pelleted grades is that they are more difficut to disperse than the corresponding fluffies. The decision to use fluffy black is generally made because available equip- ‘ment is inadequate to disperse pellets. NON-CARBON COMPONENTS ‘While furnace blacks are essentially elemental carbon, several types of contaminants are often present. Specifically, blacks contain sulfur, which is present in the hydrocarbon feedstocks used in their production. Traces of extractable organic compounds, the result of incompletely reacted feedstock may also be present. Inorganic ash aris- € from the water used in the production process. By care- ful selection and treatment of the materials used in produc- tion and careful control of the process itself, certain grades of black are designed to be extremely low in their contents, of these materials. CABOT 2.2222, Billerica Technical Center 187 Concord Road Billerica, Massachusetts 01821 (800) 462-2313