What is Carbon Black？
Reading time: 5 minutes
Carbon black is everywhere. It may look like a black powder but it’s ubiquitous. Carbon black’s unique properties are silently supporting the modern industrial process. It is found in everything from the tires of the cars we drive to the ink on our printers and the plastic packaging that we hold.
Carbon black is also called carbon black. It is an amorphous form of carbon. Carbon black is a fine, light and loose powder that has a large surface area, ranging between 10 and 3000 m2/g.
The product is the result of incomplete combustion of carbon-containing substances in an airless environment. Gas black is made of natural gas, lamp black is made of oil and acetylene. There are also “groove” and “furnace” black.
Carbon black’s origins can be traced to ancient times. China and Egypt were using cigarette ash for pigments and inks as early as 3000 BC. The modern carbon black industry was born in the late nineteenth century with the explosion of the automobile industry. In 1912, American inventor J.W. Aylsworth created a large-scale production process for carbon black to meet tire industry demand for wear resistant materials. Carbon black was a key component in the chemical industry by the middle of the 20th century. Production increased from 1 million ton per year in 1950 to more than 15 million tons annually today.
Why is carbon-black so important? As a reinforcing material in the rubber industry it can increase tire life by 50%. In plastics, coatings and inks it offers UV protection and color stability.
The global black market for carbon is expected to reach over $20 billion by 2023, and to grow by an average of 5% per year by 2030. This growth is largely due to the demand from the construction and automotive industries.
The Basic Characteristics of Carbon Black
Carbon black is composed of extremely fine carbon particles, which have a huge specific surface area, high oil absorption value, excellent conductivity/anti-static ability, and strong coloring power. According to different production processes and applications, the size, structural morphology, and surface chemical properties of carbon black particles can be precisely controlled, resulting in hundreds of different grades of products.
Related Products
-- Particle Size --
Particle size refers to the diameter of the primary particles of carbon black. Please note that carbon black does not exist as individual molecules or infinitely small units, but as the smallest and most basic spherical particles formed during the manufacturing process, known as “primary particles”.
In the production process of carbon black, these native particles will instantly melt together, forming branched aggregates. This is the basic functional unit when we actually use carbon black.
In rubber, the smaller the particle size, the larger the surface area, and the larger the contact area with rubber molecular chains, forming more physical binding points. This greatly limits the movement of rubber molecular chains, thereby significantly improving the tensile strength, tear resistance, and wear resistance of vulcanized rubber. However, the smaller the particle size, the easier it is to form a conductive network and the better the conductivity.
--Structure --
Structure “refers to the morphology and degree of aggregation formed by the fusion of primary carbon black particles. The high structure resembles a cluster of tightly clustered and branching grapes, with complex and massive aggregates. The low structure resembles a single grape or only two or three connected together, with simple and compact aggregates.
The most commonly used method for measuring structures is the DBP absorption value. It is the volume of dibutyl phthalate that a certain quality of carbon black can absorb. The higher the DBP value, the more aggregate branches and larger voids of carbon black, indicating a higher structure.
The structure of carbon black mainly affects the filling behavior of carbon black in the matrix and the rheological properties of the rubber compound. The aggregates of high structured carbon black are relatively “rigid” and not easily damaged, which helps with dispersion. Meanwhile, the internal space of the aggregates also contributes to a portion of the porosity.
--Porosity --
Porosity refers to the small pores or voids that exist inside the carbon black aggregates. These pores can exist within the aggregates or within the native particles themselves.
Carbon black with high porosity usually has a high total specific surface area, but if these surface areas mainly come from micropores, the reinforcement effect may not be as good as carbon black with the same specific surface area but low porosity.
-- Physical Form --
The chemical formula of carbon black is C, with a relative molecular weight of 12.011. It is an amorphous black solid of carbon, with a large surface area and a relative density of 1.8-2.1g/cm3. It sublimates at 3652-3697 ℃, has a boiling point of 4827 ℃, and is insoluble in water, acid, and alkali.
It can be prepared by thermal decomposition or incomplete combustion of gaseous hydrocarbons. It can be used as a catalyst for rubber hardening and a filler to enhance rubber toughness, as well as a coloring agent for inks, coatings, plastics, and UV shielding agents for plastic products.
What is Carbon Black used for?
Carbon black is used in many different ways and has an important role to play in our daily lives. Learn about the three most common uses!
- Rubber and tire industry
Carbon black is used in tires, which accounts for 70% of the global market. Carbon black is used in tires to reinforce the tire’s tensile strength and tear resistance. Carbon black can be added to rubber products to provide reinforcement and filling.
- Plastics and polymers
Carbon black is used in plastics as a UV stabiliser and conductive additive.
- Inks and Coatings
Carbon black is used as a pigment to provide a dark black color and high light resistance. Carbon black ink is used by the printing industry to produce high-resolution output. Black paper is used for packaging photographic materials, as well as black paper products that are made of highly conductive carbon.
-- How Carbon Black is made? --
There are three production methods for carbon black, including furnace method, tank method, and hot cracking method. Today we will focus on “furnace carbon black”. The characteristic of furnace black production is that the fuel is burned in the reactor to provide the heat required for raw material cracking. The combustion and cracking processes occur simultaneously.
Step 1. Raw material preparation and atomization:
Usually heavy petroleum fractions are used as raw materials, such as coal tar or ethylene tar from refineries. These raw materials are rich in aromatic hydrocarbons and are an ideal choice for producing high-quality carbon black. Natural gas is sometimes used as an auxiliary fuel or raw material.
Step 2. High temperature reaction and incomplete combustion
Firstly, ignite the fuel (natural gas or oil) with excess air in the combustion section of the reactor, creating a stable high-temperature airflow environment with temperatures ranging from 1300 ° C to 1650 ° C. This high-temperature region provides the necessary energy for subsequent cracking reactions. Inject the preheated atomized raw oil precisely into this high-temperature and high-speed airflow from the side wall or end. High temperature causes the droplets of raw oil to evaporate instantly, causing long-chain hydrocarbon molecules to break and generate smaller molecules and free radicals.
Initial particles collide and fuse with each other in turbulence, forming stable, branched aggregates. The size and shape of these aggregates are what we commonly refer to as the “structure” of carbon black.
Step 3. Rapid cooling to stop the reaction
Once the carbon particles have reached the desired size, structure and number in the reactor they need to be “frozen”, to prevent any excessive growth or oxidation. The quench water, or the quench oil is sprayed at a particular location at the reactor’s end. Rapid cooling drops the temperature of the flue gases to below 700 degrees C in a matter of milliseconds. This accurately ends the reaction.
Step 4. Collection and granulation
In the granulator, carbon black powder is mixed with water or binder under the action of rotation and rolled into small and dense spherical particles
Step 5. Drying and Packaging
The pelletized carbon black particles contain a certain amount of moisture and need to be dried to a qualified moisture content using hot air in a rotary dryer or fluidized bed dryer. Finally, the dried carbon black particles are weighed and packaged through an automated system, loaded into large bags or tank trucks, and sent to customers worldwide.
This is the entire process of making carbon black.
Related issues of Carbon Black
Under normal use and operation, carbon black is not harmful. However, dust inhaled can cause health problems. Carbon black dust can cause respiratory irritation when inhaled, just like the dust from flour mills and woodworking workshops. Long-term exposure to carbon black may also lead to lung damage.
When processing carbon black in an industrial environment, workers should wear protective equipment, such as dust masks. The workplace must be equipped with good ventilation.
Carbon black is a pigment that is often referred to as “the standard of black”. It is also one of the darkest substances available. Its blackness can be extremely high when it is produced with high-quality dispersion. It is capable of absorbing nearly all visible light that shines on its surface.
Many of the “blacks” we call pigments and dyes are in fact mixtures of colors that don’t absorb light well enough. If placed next to carbon-black, they can appear discolored or grayish.
Carbon black and charcoal, although they both contain carbon, are completely different. The difference lies in their manufacturing process. Charcoal is produced by burning wood or coconut shells slowly in limited air. It has a porous texture and soft texture, and it’s often used as an adsorbent.
Carbon black is made by thermal decomposition or incomplete combustion of raw materials like oil or natural gases at high temperatures. This results in nanoscale particles that are extremely fine. Carbon black is much more pure and black than charcoal.
Carbon black’s main component is carbon. It has chemical properties that are very stable and it does not degrade or decay. Therefore, there is no shelf life.
It is not the time that matters, but rather how it’s stored. Carbon black can be stored in a clean, cool, dry and dry environment, away from moisture, for many years.
Manufacturer of Carbon Black
Zhishang Bio is a key partner in the global supply of surfactants, daily-use chemicals and other products. They focus on supplying high-purity and quality Carbon Black.
We provide stable, cost-effective, and efficient one-stop purchasing solutions to global customers. We understand how important a reliable supply is to your business. Therefore, we strive to be the best in all aspects.
We have a close relationship with the leading manufacturers in order to guarantee that our products are of high quality and meet industry standards. We are able, through our large-scale purchasing and efficient supply management, to offer customers highly competitive market prices. We also offer flexible quotes based upon the volume of the purchase to help them optimize their production costs.
Our services are characterized by a highly developed logistics system. We achieve visual tracking through multiple warehouse layouts and digital logistic management systems both at home and abroad. This allows us to support multimodal intermodal transport such as rail, road, and sea.
Our service system is designed around the needs of our customers. Our team of professionals responds quickly 7×24 hours per day. We offer personalized services such as product packaging and customized packaging according to customer needs. We focus on creating stable, long-term strategic partnerships with our clients in order to achieve mutual growth.
The logistics system is one of the core advantages of our services. Through multiple warehousing layouts and digital logistics management systems at home and abroad, we achieve visual tracking of the entire transportation process, supporting multimodal intermodal transportation such as sea, rail, and road, strictly ensuring delivery timeliness, and even safe and compliant professional distribution for dangerous goods transportation.
We are committed to building a customer-centric service system. Our professional team provides 7 × 24-hour rapid response, which not only provides precise technical support and after-sales guarantee, but also offers personalized services such as product packaging and customized packaging according to customer needs. We focus on establishing long-term and stable strategic partnerships with our clients, achieving mutual growth through continuous value creation
By choosing us, you are not only selecting a supplier; you are also choosing a partner that is dedicated to your success. We will be happy to offer you free samples and detailed technical support.
Shandong Zhishang Bio Co., Ltd
Zhishang Bio, a subsidiary of Zhishang Chemical Co., Ltd., was established in 2016 and is a new type of chemical enterprise that integrates research and development, production, and sales. Zhishang Bio always adheres to the concept of “integrity management, strict quality control, customer first”.
Through continuous efforts, significant breakthroughs have been made in industries such as pharmaceutical intermediates, pesticide intermediates, food additives, and cosmetic raw materials. The domestic trade team sells well throughout the country, while the foreign trade team is exported to more than 30 countries and regions including the United States, Russia, Spain, Brazil, and enjoys a global reputation.
Invited to participate in this exhibition, Zhishang Bio will comprehensively showcase the company’s strength and achievements in the research and development, production, and quality control of pharmaceutical and pesticide intermediates! At that time, our company will set up an CPHI exhibition at booth E12D29 at the venue, and we will take you to further understand our company’s advantageous products in detail!
You may also want to read
