Carbon Black

Abstract Carbon black is a generic term for an important family of products used widely to modify the mechanical, electrical, and other physical properties of the medium in which it is dispersed. It is the most widely used nanomaterial, with particle dimensions ranging from tens to a few hundred nanometers (nms). It plays a major role in elastomers, plastics, paints and inks as a reinforcing agent, a black pigment, and an electrically conductive material. This article provides a comprehensive review of the technical and commercial aspects of carbon black usage. The history of carbon black, its microstructure, chemical composition, morphology, surface activity, and characterization are discussed. The mechanism of carbon black formation and its manufacture, including oil‐furnace black process, thermal black process, acetylene black process, lampblack process, and impingement black process, is described. A separate section is included on newly developed surface modification technologies and related commercial applications. One section is devoted to the properties, applications and markets of the two main types of carbon blacks, rubber grades and special grades. The rubber grades are primarily used as a reinforcing agent in tire and other rubber products to improve their mechanical properties. Most of the special grades are manufactured to meet specific product specifications for imparting certain properties required by the end use products, such as dispersion, pigmentation and electrical conductivity. The health, safety, and environmental section includes a summary of recent health studies.