Carbon Black

Abstract

Carbon black is a high‐tech raw material, with clearly defined properties, widely used in different fields of applications, as an excellent black pigment, reinforcing particle in polymers, UV‐protection agent as well as conductive material in batteries. Due to its excellent pigmentation properties, especially its light stability and universal insolubility, carbon black has been used as a black pigment since early times. Today you can find it in car coatings, black dashboards, and inks. Carbon black is also used as reinforcing particle to modify the mechanical and electrical properties of elastomers and plastics. Its largest application is in tires to improve durability, abrasion resistance, and traction. The individual morphology parameters of the carbon black are tailored for each application. These parameters as well as the microstructure are discussed after the introduction in the second section. The following section deals with the methods to characterize the morphology and to carefully control the formation process. The following two sections focus on the formation and various production processes. Section 6 is devoted to the applications of carbon blacks in plastics and elastomers as a pigment as well as a reinforcing particle. The subject of achieving optimal quality dispersion and its importance to end‐use performance is also addressed. Finally, the topics of sustainability and product safety are outlined.