Carbon Black (N220) - China

Brief Overview

Carbon black, found in various forms such as acetylene black, channel black, furnace black, lamp black, and thermal black, is a material produced from the incomplete combustion of heavy petroleum products like FCC tar, coal tar, ethylene cracking tar, and, to a lesser extent, vegetable oil. It presents as a black, finely divided pellet or powder, consisting of over 96 percent amorphous carbon and trace amounts of oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, and sulfur, primarily concentrated on the surface. Oxidized carbon black may have up to 15 percent oxygen. Customizable for specific purposes, carbon black exhibits diverse properties influenced by production methods and process parameters. It comprises chain-type or botryoidal aggregates formed during production from small, mostly spherical particles. These aggregates combine in the reactor to form large agglomerates. Conductive carbon blacks, known for their high specific surface and extensively ramified aggregates, are utilized in applications like antistatic finishes for plastics.

Manufacturing Process

Oil and natural gas are examples of hydrocarbons that are used as input materials in the partial combustion and thermal breakdown processes that produce carbon black. Since carbon black's qualities change depending on the production process used, it is categorized based on that method. To differentiate it from carbon black made by other methods, the phrase "furnace black" refers only to carbon black made using the furnace process, which is now the most extensively used method. Through a partial combustion process using coal or petroleum oil as a raw material (feedstock oil) in high-temperature gasses, carbon black is created. Because of its exact control over features such particle size and structure and high yield, this technology is recommended for large-scale manufacturing.

Rubber Industry

Carbon black is mostly used as a color and a reinforcing filler in tires and other rubber goods. Anti-vibrating components in automotive are typically composed of natural rubber that has been strengthened with carbon black. It is used in several formulas with different types of rubber to change the performance attributes of the tire.

Paint and Coating Industry

Carbon black is commonly employed in printing inks, paints, toners, and resin coloring, serving as an excellent black pigment. Specialized carbon blacks are utilized in paints and coatings to offer translucent coloring, tint white and colorful coatings, such as decorative paints, and achieve mass tone coloration.

Food Industry

Carbon black is a common food pigment that is also used extensively in solvent recovery, drinking water treatment, and industrial waste odor management.

Other Applications

Among other applications, carbon black is utilized in fibers, antistatic coatings, and floppy disks as an electrical conductive material. It has also been used as an antistatic agent and filling for car fuel caps and pipelines.