CARBON BLACK

Carbon black is an extremely fine powder of great commercial importance, especially for the synthetic rubber industry. The addition of carbon black to tires lengthens its life extensively by increasing the abrasion and oil resistance of rubber.

Carbon black consists of elemental carbon with variable amounts of volatile matter and ash. There are several types of carbon blacks, and their characteristics depend on the particle size, which is mainly a function of the production method.

Carbon black is produced by the partial combustion or the thermal decomposition of natural gas or petroleum distillates and residues.

Petroleum products rich in aromatics such as tars produced from catalytic and thermal cracking units are more suitable feedstocks due to their high carbon/hydrogen ratios. These feeds produce blacks with a carbon content of approximately 92 wt%. Coke produced from delayed and fluid coking units with low sulfur and ash contents has been investigated as a possible substitute for carbon black. Three processes are currently used for the manufacture of carbon blacks. These are the channel, the furnace, and the thermal processes.