CARBON BLACK

Elastomer compounders prefer reinforcing Furnace Black over precipitated silica in heavy-duty truck tires, mining tires, and industrial rubber goods because its hydrophobic graphitic crystallite edges bind hydrocarbon polymers directly into a high-modulus bound-rubber shell without requiring expensive organosilane coupling agents or ethanol-emitting silanization mixing stages, while simultaneously imparting permanent antistatic conductivity and UV resistance. Similarly, coatings, plastics, and ink formulators select CI 77266 over black iron oxide (Pigment Black 11), natural graphite, activated vegetable carbon, and bone black because colloidal paracrystalline carbon delivers 5 to 10 times higher tinting strength, unmatched piano-black optical jetness, 60% lower skeletal density (1.80 g/cm3 compared to 4.80 g/cm3 for magnetite), thermal stability well above 300 °C, and non-porous external surface area fully accessible to resin binders.

Supplied commercially as free-flowing, low-dust pelleted beads (bulk pour density 320 to 520 g/L) for automated bulk compounding or as fluffy powder (bulk pour density 60 to 240 g/L) for liquid dispersions, commercial grades are engineered by independently tuning specific surface area (Nitrogen Surface Area NSA from 7 to >1,100 m2/g) and aggregate branching structure (Oil Absorption Number OAN from 35 to >320 mL/100 g). Matching the exact ASTM D1765 rubber code (N110 through N990), post-oxidized pigment specification, low-PAH food-contact grade, or ultra-pure Acetylene Black specification ensures optimal dispersion, rheology, and end-use durability.

CAS Number: 1333-86-4 (Acetylene Black is also cross-referenced in specific regional inventories under CAS 39345-88-5)
EC Number: 215-609-9
Molecular Formula: C (Paracrystalline sp2 elemental carbon)
Molecular Weight: 12.011 g/mol
INCI Name: CARBON BLACK / CI 77266 (Approved high-purity US FDA cosmetic color additive designation: D&C Black No. 2; Colour Index: C.I. Pigment Black 7 / C.I. 77266)
E Number: E152 (Historical European code for hydrocarbon-derived carbon black; not authorized as a direct food additive in the EU, where steam-activated vegetable carbon E153 is used, whereas high-purity Carbon Black is authorized for food-contact plastics under EU Regulation 10/2011 FCM No. 411 and US FDA 21 CFR 178.3297)
Melting Point: > 3,550 °C (Does not melt at atmospheric pressure; sublimes directly from solid to vapor at 3,650 to 3,900 °C under inert atmosphere)
Boiling Point: Approximately 4,200 to 4,827 °C (Sublimation / vaporization point of elemental carbon at 101.3 kPa; completely non-volatile solid at ambient and polymer processing temperatures)
Viscosity: Not applicable as a neat dry solid (Non-melting solid powder or pelleted beads; in liquid coating millbases at 15% to 25% w/w Pigment Black 7 loading, dynamic viscosity ranges from 150 to 2,500 mPa·s at 25 °C depending on structure and surface oxidation, while in rubber compounds at 50 phr Furnace Black loading, Mooney viscosity ML(1+4) at 100 °C ranges from 45 to 95 MU)
Density: True skeletal density 1.75 to 1.95 g/cm3 at 20 °C (typically 1.80 to 1.86 g/cm3 by helium pycnometry); Bulk pour density 320 to 520 g/L (0.32 to 0.52 g/cm3) for pelleted beads and 60 to 240 g/L (0.06 to 0.24 g/cm3) for fluffy powder

Most Frequently Encountered Synonyms:
Carbon Black
Furnace Black
Oil Furnace Black
Pigment Black 7
C.I. Pigment Black 7
C.I. 77266
CI 77266
Acetylene Black
Thermal Black
Channel Black
Gas Black
Lampblack
Lamp Black
D&C Black No. 2
Colloidal Carbon
Paracrystalline Carbon
Aciniform Carbon
Conductive Carbon Black
Super Abrasion Furnace Black (SAF)
Intermediate Super Abrasion Furnace Black (ISAF)
High Abrasion Furnace Black (HAF)
Fast Extruding Furnace Black (FEF)
General Purpose Furnace Black (GPF)
Semi-Reinforcing Furnace Black (SRF)
Medium Thermal Black (MT)
Karbon Siyahı
Karbon Karası
Fırın Siyahı
Asetilen Siyahı
Termal Siyah
Pigment Siyah 7

WHAT IS CARBON BLACK?

Known in Turkish chemical commerce as Karbon Siyahı, Karbon Karası, Fırın Siyahı, or Pigment Siyah 7, Carbon Black is a precision-engineered industrial nanomaterial composed of elemental carbon (chemical symbol C, CAS No. 1333-86-4, EC / EINECS No. 215-609-9, Colour Index Pigment Black 7, C.I. 77266). Rather than existing as discrete individual crystal grains like ground mineral fillers or as macroscopic flat platelets like natural flake graphite, this colloidal paracrystalline carbon consists of sub-micron aciniform (grape-cluster-like) aggregates formed by the vapor-phase nucleation and covalent fusion of spherical carbon nodules (8 to 500 nm) featuring concentrically arranged turbostratic carbon layers.
Industrial production of Furnace Black, Thermal Black, Acetylene Black, Gas Black, and Lampblack is carried out in closed, computer-controlled reactors via either partial hydrocarbon combustion or oxygen-free thermal pyrolysis. By adjusting feedstock aromaticity, reactor temperature (1,200 to 2,200 °C), millisecond residence time, alkali potassium structure-control additives, and water-quench positioning, manufacturers tailor primary particle diameter, aggregate branching complexity, and surface oxygen functional groups to match specific elastomer, thermoplastic, coating, printing ink, or battery requirements.

Buyers and formulators must strictly distinguish manufactured Pigment Black 7 (CAS 1333-86-4) from unregulated combustion soot (chimney or diesel exhaust soot, a heterogeneous waste by-product contaminated with 20% to 50%+ inorganic fly ash, occluded tars, and unburned char), from Activated Carbon (CAS 7440-44-0, an internally microporous char produced by steam or chemical activation of coal, wood, or coconut shells for gas/liquid adsorption), from Vegetable Carbon / Biochar (E153, CAS 7440-44-0, steam-activated plant charcoal authorized as a direct food colorant), and from Bone Black (C.I. Pigment Black 9, CAS 8021-99-6, calcined animal bones containing 80% to 85% tricalcium phosphate and only 10% to 15% carbon).
Within the commercial C.I. 77266 market itself, procurement teams must also differentiate between standard ASTM D1765 Rubber Reinforcing Grades (the N100 to N900 series, such as N110, N220, N234, N326, N330, N339, N550, N660, N772, and N990), Specialty Pigment Grades (High-Color, Medium-Color, Regular-Color, and Low-Color grades, frequently post-oxidized for coatings, inks, and plastics), High-Purity Low-PAH Food-Contact Grades (compliant with US FDA 21 CFR 178.3297 and EU Regulation 10/2011), and Conductive Furnace or Acetylene Black grades engineered for electrostatic discharge (ESD) plastics, high-voltage power cable shields, and lithium-ion battery electrodes.

CHEMICAL STRUCTURE, NANOSTRUCTURE AND HIERARCHICAL MORPHOLOGY OF CARBON BLACK

Understanding why Furnace Black reinforces elastomers, why fine Pigment Black 7 absorbs solar ultraviolet radiation and imparts piano-black jetness to coatings, and why Acetylene Black conducts electrons through insulating polymers requires examining its internal crystallographic arrangement, its three-level morphological hierarchy, and its surface heteroatom chemistry.

1. Turbostratic / Paracrystalline Graphitic Microstructure:
Inside each spherical primary nodule of Carbon Black, sp2-hybridized carbon atoms (with an in-plane aromatic C-C bond length of 0.142 nm) are arranged in hexagonal graphene-like basal planes stacked in small crystallite domains typically 1.5 to 3.0 nm wide (La) and 1.2 to 2.0 nm thick (Lc, encompassing 3 to 6 parallel aromatic carbon sheets). Unlike macro-crystalline hexagonal graphite—which exhibits a regular three-dimensional ABAB stacking sequence with an exact interlayer spacing (d002) of 0.3354 nm and a true density of 2.26 g/cm3—paracrystalline carbon crystallites display rotational and translational ('turbostratic') disorder around the c-axis, expanding the interlayer spacing d002 to 0.350–0.365 nm and yielding a true skeletal density of 1.75 to 1.95 g/cm3.
High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and Raman spectroscopy (characterized by the disorder D-band near 1,350 cm-1 and the graphitic G-band near 1,580 cm-1) demonstrate that these turbostratic crystallites are oriented concentrically around the nodule center like the layers of an onion. Because the outer shell exposes dense graphitic basal planes alongside high-energy prismatic crystallite edges while the inner core remains more amorphous, the surface of Furnace Black and Channel Black provides highly energetic adsorption sites that bind rubber polymer chains and pi-conjugated dispersing agents.

2. Three-Tier Morphological Hierarchy (Primary Particles -> Aggregates -> Agglomerates):
- Tier 1 — Primary Particles (Nodules, 8 nm to 500 nm): In the earliest millisecond of hydrocarbon pyrolysis, polycyclic aromatic precursors nucleate into spherical carbon droplets termed primary particles or nodules. Mean primary nodule diameter spans from 8 to 15 nm in High-Color (HC) Gas Blacks and Furnace Blacks, 15 to 25 nm in Super Abrasion and Intermediate Super Abrasion Furnace tire-tread grades (N110, N220, N234), 28 to 35 nm in High Abrasion Furnace (HAF N330), 40 to 75 nm in Fast Extruding, General Purpose, and Semi-Reinforcing Furnace grades (N550, N660, N772), and 150 to 500 nm in Medium Thermal Black (N990). Except in coarse Thermal Black N990 (where discrete spheres coexist with fused pairs), primary particles do not exist as isolated spheres outside the reactor.
- Tier 2 — Primary Aggregates (50 nm to 1,000 nm, The Indivisible Dispersible Unit): Within the high-temperature reaction zone, colliding primary nodules are cemented together by continuous overarching graphitic carbon layers to form rigid, covalently bonded, three-dimensional branched chains and clusters called primary aggregates (formally designated as aciniform carbon). The primary aggregate is the fundamental, indivisible unit of C.I. Pigment Black 7; even intense Banbury internal-mixer shear or high-energy zirconia bead milling cannot cleave the covalent carbon-carbon bonds within an aggregate. Aggregate branching complexity and internal void volume define the grade's 'structure' (quantified by Oil Absorption Number, OAN, in mL/100 g): high-structure grades (OAN 115 to >320 mL/100 g) feature open, extensively branched aggregate networks that trap polymer chains ('occluded rubber') and establish low-threshold conductive pathways, whereas low-structure grades (OAN 35 to 75 mL/100 g) form compact clusters that minimize viscosity and maximize gloss.
- Tier 3 — Agglomerates (1 micron to >100 microns) and Pelleted Beads (0.3 mm to 2.0 mm): After water quenching and baghouse collection, primary aggregates attract one another through physical van der Waals and electrostatic forces to form loose, fragile clusters called agglomerates. To eliminate airborne dust and allow pneumatic bulk conveying, fluffy agglomerates are compacted by wet pin-pelletizing or dry drum-pelletizing into spherical beads (0.3 to 2.0 mm diameter). During compounding or milling, mechanical shear must completely break down pellets and de-agglomerate the van der Waals agglomerates back into discrete primary aggregates.

3. Surface Chemistry and Oxygen Functional Groups:
While the core of Carbon Black is 95.0% to 99.9% elemental carbon, the outer crystallite edges carry chemisorbed hydrogen (0.2% to 0.8% w/w), oxygen (0.2% to 1.5% w/w in standard Furnace Blacks; 3.0% to 15.0% w/w in Gas Blacks and post-oxidized Pigment Blacks), and trace feedstock sulfur (0.1% to 1.2% w/w in Oil Furnace Blacks; < 0.02% in Acetylene Black and Thermal Black). Surface oxygen atoms form acidic carboxylic acids (-COOH), lactones/lactols (-C(=O)O-), phenolic hydroxyls (-OH), and quinone/carbonyl (-C=O) groups. Standard Oil Furnace Blacks have low surface oxygen (volatile content < 1.5%) and neutral-to-alkaline aqueous slurry pH (6.5 to 10.0), promoting normal sulfur cure rates in rubber, whereas post-oxidized Pigment Blacks carry dense carboxylic and phenolic monolayers (volatile content 3.5% to 15.0%, pH 2.0 to 4.5) that anchor amine-functional polymeric dispersants in coatings and inks.

PRODUCTION AND MANUFACTURING PROCESSES OF CARBON BLACK

Commercial Carbon Black is manufactured in tightly instrumented, closed industrial reactors via two fundamental thermochemical pathways: partial combustion (incomplete thermo-oxidative pyrolysis, where a fuel flame cracks injected hydrocarbon feedstock) and pure thermal decomposition (oxygen-free pyrolysis). Five industrial manufacturing processes define global commercial supply:

- 1. The Oil Furnace Black Process (>90% to 95% of Global Production): In a closed refractory-lined Oil Furnace reactor, preheated air and natural gas are burned tangentially in a combustion chamber to generate a high-velocity turbulent plasma at 1,400 to 1,900 °C. Atomized preheated heavy aromatic feedstock oil—such as fluid catalytic cracker (FCC) decant oil, coal tar distillate, or steam-cracker ethylene tar—is injected radially into the narrow reactor choke. Within 1 to 100 milliseconds, the aromatic oil vaporizes and pyrolyzes into primary nodules that fuse into aciniform aggregates. When manufacturing low-structure grades (such as N326 or low-structure pigment blacks), trace aqueous solutions of potassium hydroxide (KOH) or potassium chloride (KCl) are co-injected into the flame: ionized potassium cations (K+) charge the nascent carbon nodules positively so they repel each other, suppressing aggregate branching and lowering OAN structure! At the exact millisecond required to arrest nodule growth at the target specific surface area, pressurized water sprays quench the reaction stream below 800 °C. The cooled aerosol passes through heat exchangers, PTFE-membrane baghouse filters, a micro-pulverizer, magnetic grit separators, and wet or dry pelletizers.

- 2. The Thermal Black Process (ASTM N990 / N991): Operated as a cyclic two-reactor regenerative process using natural gas (methane, CH4) in the complete absence of air or oxygen. While one checkerwork refractory furnace is heated to 1,300–1,400 °C by burning a methane-air mixture, the companion pre-heated furnace is purged of air and fed with pure methane gas. In the oxygen-free environment, methane thermally cracks on the hot refractory bricks into coarse spherical carbon particles (150 to 500 nm diameter, NSA 7 to 11 m2/g, OAN 38 to 45 mL/100 g) and hydrogen gas (CH4 -> C + 2 H2), which is recycled to heat the alternating furnace. Because thermal cracking lacks turbulent flame collisions, Thermal Black consists of ultra-coarse discrete spheres and short fused chains with the lowest surface area and lowest structure of any commercial C.I. 77266 grade.

- 3. The Acetylene Black Process (Ultra-Pure Conductive & Battery Grade): Unlike endothermic methane cracking, the thermal decomposition of purified acetylene gas (C2H2 -> 2 C + H2, enthalpy change delta H = -227 kJ/mol) is strongly exothermic. Once a refractory retort is preheated to ~800 °C, purified acetylene gas is fed continuously without air or oxygen; the exothermic decomposition self-sustains at adiabatic temperatures of 1,800 to 2,200 °C. This extreme self-heating anneals the carbon sheets into a highly crystalline, partially graphitized turbostratic network with exceptional chemical purity (>= 99.5% to 99.9% C, ash <= 0.02%–0.05%, trace Fe/Cu/Ni metals < 5 to 20 ppm, moisture <= 0.1%) and a highly developed chain-like aggregate structure (OAN 180 to >300 mL/100 g). Because its graphitic structure resists pellet breakdown, Acetylene Black is supplied as unpelleted or lightly compressed powder.

- 4. The Gas Black (Oxidative Roller / Channel Black) Process: Derived from the historic Channel Black process and operated in modern plants as the oxidative roller Gas Black process, vaporized coal-tar oil carried by hydrogen-rich gas is burned in rows of miniature crescent diffusion flames impinging against revolving water-cooled steel rollers with free access to ambient air. This oxidative flame produces ultra-fine primary nodules (10 to 30 nm, BET NSA 90 to >350 m2/g) with naturally oxidized, acidic surfaces (volatile content 4% to 6%, pH 3.0 to 5.0) ideal for deep-jetness coatings and printing inks.

- 5. The Lampblack Process: The oldest industrial production route, in which heavy aromatic oils are burned in cast-iron pans under a restricted, low-velocity air draught inside a refractory hood. The laminar flame produces broad-distribution coarse primary nodules (60 to 200 nm, NSA 16 to 30 m2/g) fused into high-structure aggregates (OAN 100 to 130 mL/100 g). Lampblack imparts a signature bluish-grey undertone and resists flocculation ('flooding and floating') when tinted with coarse titanium dioxide in grey paints.

- 6. Post-Reactor Oxidative Surface Modification (After-Treated Pigment Blacks): For automotive OEM basecoats, high-gloss industrial enamels, and inkjet/offset inks, Furnace Blacks or Gas Blacks undergo post-reactor oxidation at 300 to 600 °C using ozone (O3), nitrogen dioxide / nitric acid (NO2 / HNO3), hydrogen peroxide, or hot air. Post-oxidation grafts a dense monolayer of carboxylic, lactonic, and phenolic groups onto Pigment Black 7 (raising volatile content to 3.5%–15.0% w/w and lowering pH to 2.0–4.0), cutting millbase viscosity and boosting optical jetness.
Ataman Kimya operates as an international chemical supplier and distributor providing commercial grades of Carbon Black—including ASTM rubber reinforcing Furnace Blacks, Thermal Black, specialty Pigment Black 7 grades, and Conductive / Acetylene Blacks—from established global manufacturing origins.

PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF CARBON BLACK

Quantitative physical constants for paracrystalline sp2 elemental carbon and analytical specification ranges across commercial ASTM rubber, specialty pigment, and conductive grades of Carbon Black (CAS 1333-86-4, EC 215-609-9, C.I. 77266) are detailed below with their standard reference test methods:
Chemical Symbol and Formula: C (Paracrystalline sp2-hybridized elemental carbon)
Atomic / Molecular Weight: 12.011 g/mol
CAS Registry Number: 1333-86-4 (Acetylene Black also referenced under 39345-88-5)
EC / EINECS Number: 215-609-9
Colour Index Designation: C.I. Pigment Black 7 (P.Bk.7) / Constitution No. C.I. 77266
INCI Designation: CARBON BLACK / CI 77266 (US FDA high-purity cosmetic grade: D&C Black No. 2)
Physical State and Appearance (at 20 °C and 101.3 kPa): Odorless deep jet-black solid supplied as free-flowing spherical pelleted beads (0.3 to 2.0 mm diameter) or finely divided fluffy powder
Elemental Carbon Assay: 95.0% to 99.9% w/w C (97.0% to 99.5% w/w in standard Furnace Blacks and Thermal Blacks; >= 99.5% to 99.9% w/w in Acetylene Black; 85.0% to 96.0% w/w in heavily post-oxidized Gas and Pigment Blacks where chemisorbed oxygen accounts for 3.0% to 14.0% w/w)
Crystallographic Dimensions (XRD / HRTEM): In-plane C-C bond length 0.142 nm; Crystallite lateral width (La) 1.5 to 3.0 nm; Crystallite stack thickness (Lc) 1.2 to 2.0 nm (3 to 6 graphene layers); Turbostratic interlayer spacing (d002) 0.350 to 0.365 nm (compared to 0.3354 nm for ideal hexagonal graphite)
Melting Point / Sublimation Temperature (at 101.3 kPa): > 3,550 °C (Does not form a liquid phase at atmospheric pressure; sublimes at 3,650 to 3,900 °C under inert gas; triple point occurs at ~10.8 MPa and ~4,300–4,500 °C)
Boiling / Vaporization Point (at 101.3 kPa): Approximately 4,200 to 4,827 °C
Thermal Oxidation / Ignition Onset Temperature in Air (TGA / BAM Furnace): 315 to 450 °C for fine standard Furnace and Pigment Blacks; > 500 to 600 °C for coarse Thermal Black N990 and graphitized Acetylene Black (minimum dust-cloud ignition temperature MIT typically > 500 to 620 °C per EN 50281 / IEC 61241)
True / Skeletal Density (Helium Pycnometry, ASTM D2638 / ISO 787-10): 1.75 to 1.95 g/cm3 at 20 °C (standard compounding calculation value: 1.80 to 1.86 g/cm3)
Bulk / Pour Density (ASTM D1513): Pelleted bead grades: 320 to 520 g/L (0.32 to 0.52 g/cm3, with high-structure conductive beads at 280–340 g/L and low-structure rubber beads at 440–520 g/L); Fluffy powder grades: 60 to 240 g/L (0.06 to 0.24 g/cm3)
Primary Particle (Nodule) Mean Arithmetic Diameter (TEM, ASTM D3849): 8 to 500 nm (8–15 nm in High-Color HC pigment blacks; 16–24 nm in Medium-Color MC pigment and N110/N220 tire-tread blacks; 26–35 nm in N330 HAF and Regular-Color RC blacks; 40–80 nm in N550 FEF, N660 GPF, N772 SRF, and Low-Color LC blacks; 60–200 nm in Lampblack; 150–500 nm in N990 Medium Thermal Black)
Primary Aggregate Hydrodynamic / Stokes Diameter (Centrifugal Photosedimentometry, ASTM D3849 / DCP): 50 to 1,000 nm (typically 80 to 350 nm for furnace grades)
Nitrogen Surface Area (NSA by Multipoint BET, ASTM D6556 / ISO 4652): 7.0 to >1,100.0 m2/g (7–11 m2/g for N990; 26–32 m2/g for N772; 33–38 m2/g for N660; 38–44 m2/g for N550; 74–82 m2/g for N330; 110–125 m2/g for N220/N234; 125–145 m2/g for N110; 150–560 m2/g for High-Color pigment blacks; 60–1,200 m2/g for Conductive and Super-Conductive Furnace blacks)
Statistical Thickness Surface Area (STSA / External Surface Area, ASTM D6556): 7.0 to 600.0 m2/g (measures external aggregate surface area accessible to rubber macromolecules, excluding internal micropores < 2.0 nm)
Iodine Adsorption Number (IAN, ASTM D1510 / ISO 1304): 6.0 to >300.0 mg I2/g Carbon Black (~9 mg/g for N990; ~30 mg/g for N772; ~36 mg/g for N660; ~43 mg/g for N550; ~82 mg/g for N330; ~121 mg/g for N220; ~145 mg/g for N110; note that surface oxygen depresses IAN on oxidized pigment blacks)
Oil Absorption Number (OAN, formerly DBP Absorption, ASTM D2414 / ISO 4656): 35.0 to >330.0 mL/100 g (38–44 mL/100 g for N990; 65 mL/100 g for N772; 72 mL/100 g for low-structure N326; 90 mL/100 g for N660; 102 mL/100 g for N330; 114 mL/100 g for N220; 121 mL/100 g for N550; 125 mL/100 g for N234; 45–130 mL/100 g for pigment grades; 180–330+ mL/100 g for Acetylene Black and Extra-Conductive Furnace grades)
Compressed Oil Absorption Number (COAN / 24M4 DBP, ASTM D3493): 35.0 to 200.0 mL/100 g (measured after four compressions at 165 MPa to quantify persistent aggregate structure after high-shear compounding; typical rubber values: ~38 mL/100 g for N990, ~74 mL/100 g for N660, ~85 mL/100 g for N550, ~88 mL/100 g for N330, ~98 mL/100 g for N220, ~102 mL/100 g for N234)
Tint Strength (ASTM D3265 / ISO 5435, % of ITRB Reference Black): 20% to 155% (~25% for N990; ~55%–60% for N660/N550; ~102%–105% for N330; ~115%–125% for N220/N110; up to 135%–155% for fine pigment blacks)
Optical Blackness / Jetness Value (My, DIN 55979 / CIELAB L*): My 210 to 235 for Regular-Color (RC) blacks; My 240 to 260 for Medium-Color (MC) blacks; My 265 to >300 (with CIELAB L* < 1.0 to 3.0) for High-Color (HC) post-oxidized automotive basecoat blacks
Volatile Content (Heating at 950 °C for 7 minutes, DIN 53552 / ASTM D1620): 0.2% to 1.5% w/w for standard non-oxidized Furnace, Thermal, and Acetylene Blacks; 2.5% to 15.0% w/w for Gas Blacks and post-oxidized Pigment Blacks
Aqueous Slurry pH (ASTM D1512 / ISO 787-9): 2.0 to 5.0 for surface-oxidized Pigment Blacks and Gas Blacks; 6.5 to 10.0 for standard Furnace Blacks, Thermal Blacks, and Acetylene Blacks
Heating Loss / Moisture Content as Packed (125 °C for 1 hour, ASTM D1509 / ISO 1126): <= 0.1% to <= 0.3% w/w for battery-grade Acetylene Black; <= 0.5% to <= 1.5% w/w for standard pelleted rubber and plastic grades; <= 1.5% to <= 3.5% w/w for hygroscopic high-NSA post-oxidized pigment powders
Ash Content (Ignition at 550–650 °C, ASTM D1506 / ISO 1125): <= 0.02% to <= 0.05% w/w for Acetylene Black and HV cable shield grades; <= 0.15% w/w for cosmetic CI 77266 grades; <= 0.20% to <= 0.80% w/w for standard ASTM rubber Furnace Blacks
Total Sulfur Content (ASTM D1619): <= 0.01% to <= 0.05% w/w for Acetylene Black, Gas Black, and Thermal Black N990; 0.10% to 1.20% w/w (chemically bound in the carbon matrix from aromatic feedstock oil) for standard Oil Furnace Blacks
Water-Wash Sieve Residue / Grit Content (ASTM D1514 / ISO 1437): 325 mesh (45 microns): <= 10 to <= 30 ppm for ultra-clean film, fiber, HV cable, and battery grades, and <= 100 to <= 500 ppm for standard tire/rubber grades; 35 mesh (500 microns): <= 1 to <= 10 ppm
Toluene Discoloration / Extractable Transmittance (ASTM D1618 / ISO 3858 at 425 nm): >= 85% to >= 99% light transmittance (Solvent-extractable organic matter <= 0.05% to <= 0.15% w/w; for EU 10/2011 and FDA 21 CFR 178.3297 food-contact grades, toluene extractables <= 0.10% w/w, total PAHs <= 0.5 ppm, and benzo[a]pyrene <= 5 to 250 ppb depending on standard)
Pellet Crush Strength and Fines Content (ASTM D5230 / ASTM D1508): Individual pellet hardness 10 to 45 cN (max pellet hardness typically <= 25–35 cN to ensure complete dispersion); Pellet fines (< 125 microns, 5-minute shaker): <= 2.0% to <= 7.0% w/w as shipped
Solubility and Partitioning: 0.0 mg/L in water (100% insoluble in water at pH 1–14, mineral acids, alkalis, alcohols, ketones, esters, and aliphatic/aromatic hydrocarbons; log Kow not applicable for inorganic/elemental carbon solids)
Viscosity in Formulated Dispersions and Compounds: Neat Carbon Black is a non-melting solid; in solventborne or waterborne coating millbases (15%–25% w/w Pigment Black 7), dynamic viscosity at 25 °C is typically 150 to 2,500 mPa·s (Brookfield / cone-and-plate at 20 s-1); in elastomer compounds (50 phr Furnace Black in SBR/NR), compound Mooney viscosity ML(1+4) at 100 °C (ASTM D1646) is typically 45 to 95 Mooney Units
Refractive Index and Optical Extinction: Complex refractive index n = 1.84 to 2.15 with absorption index k = 0.5 to 1.0 across visible wavelengths (400–700 nm); UV-Visible lightfastness rating: Blue Wool Scale 8 (maximum permanent lightfastness)
Thermal and Electrical Properties: Specific heat capacity Cp 0.71 to 0.85 J/(g·K) at 25 °C (rising to ~1.6 J/(g·K) at 1,000 °C); Bulk powder thermal conductivity 0.05 to 0.25 W/(m·K) at 25 °C (skeletal aggregate thermal conductivity 5 to 15 W/(m·K)); Compressed powder electrical volume resistivity (at 5 MPa) 0.10 to 5.0 ohm·cm for Conductive/Acetylene Blacks and 2.0 to 50.0 ohm·cm for standard Furnace Blacks.
These numerical figures represent established industry benchmarks across ASTM and specialty grades. Exact guaranteed specification limits for any commercial lot must always be verified on the supplier's grade-specific Technical Data Sheet (TDS) and batch Certificate of Analysis (COA).

WHY EACH IMPORTANT PROPERTY OF CARBON BLACK MATTERS IN PRACTICE

Rubber compounders, plastic masterbatch engineers, coating formulators, and lithium-ion battery electrochemists specify distinct numerical parameters on a Carbon Black COA because each test directly governs processing rheology and final product performance:

- Nitrogen Surface Area (NSA), STSA (ASTM D6556), and Iodine Adsorption Number (IAN, ASTM D1510): Quantify the specific surface area (inversely proportional to primary nodule diameter) available for polymer-filler bonding, light absorption, and UV free-radical trapping. In elastomers, raising NSA from 35 m2/g (N660) to 115–140 m2/g (N220 / N110) increases tensile strength, tear resistance, treadwear abrasion resistance, Mooney viscosity, and dynamic hysteresis (tan delta at 60 °C). In coatings and plastics, higher NSA increases optical jetness (My), UV screening efficiency, and melt/millbase viscosity. Comparing NSA (total BET area including micropores < 2 nm) against STSA (external surface area accessible to macromolecules) reveals internal microporosity: if NSA exceeds STSA by more than 10% to 20%, small molecules such as rubber vulcanization accelerators, peroxides, or liquid dispersants can become trapped inside micropores where polymer chains cannot enter! Furthermore, on post-oxidized Pigment Black 7 grades, chemisorbed oxygen artificially depresses Iodine Adsorption Number, so BET Nitrogen Surface Area (NSA) must always be used instead of IAN.

- Oil Absorption Number (OAN, ASTM D2414) and Compressed OAN (COAN, ASTM D3493): Measure three-dimensional aggregate branching complexity and internal void volume (in mL of dibutyl phthalate or paraffin oil absorbed per 100 g of Furnace Black). High structure (high OAN, such as N550 at 121 mL/100 g or Conductive / Acetylene Blacks at 180–330 mL/100 g) traps 'occluded rubber' inside aggregate voids, increasing 300% modulus, Shore A hardness, uncured green strength, extrusion smoothness (suppressing die swell), initial wetting rate, and electrical conductivity (lowering the percolation threshold to 2%–8% w/w). Low structure (low OAN, such as N326 at 72 mL/100 g or low-structure Pigment Blacks at 45–65 mL/100 g) yields lower compound viscosity, higher elongation at break, lower dynamic heat build-up, and—in liquid coatings and inks—permits higher pigment concentration with lower viscosity and higher mirror gloss.

- Volatile Content (DIN 53552) and Aqueous Slurry pH (ASTM D1512): Quantify the surface density of chemisorbed oxygenated functional groups (-COOH, -OH, -C=O). In sulfur-cured rubber, acidic surface oxygen groups (pH < 5.0, volatiles > 2.0%) adsorb alkaline guanidine and sulfenamide accelerators, retarding cure rate (which is why acidic Channel/Gas Blacks carry slow-curing 'S' designations in ASTM D1765, whereas alkaline Furnace Blacks with pH 7.0–9.5 carry normal-curing 'N' designations). Conversely, in polar coatings, printing inks, and polyurethane/polyamide resins, high volatile content (3.5%–15.0% w/w) and acidic pH (2.0–4.5) provide polar anchoring sites for amine-functional polymeric dispersants, preventing flocculation and maximizing jetness.

- Tint Strength (ASTM D3265), Jetness (My), and Undertone (Mc): Tint strength measures light absorption power when ground in a white zinc oxide paste, rising with finer primary particle size and lower structure. Jetness (My) quantifies full-shade optical blackness (reaching My > 270–300 in 10–14 nm automotive basecoat blacks), while Undertone (Mc) indicates whether scattered light shifts toward a desirable cool bluish-black tone or a warm brownish-black tone.

- Sieve Residue (325 Mesh / 45 Micron Grit, ASTM D1514) and Ash Content (ASTM D1506): Hard coke specs, refractory fragments, or inorganic salts retained on a 45-micron screen act as stress-concentration flaws that cause pinholes in blown PE agricultural films, filament breaks in synthetic fiber spinning, surface nibs in automotive clearcoats, and electrical treeing breakdown in high-voltage XLPE cable shields. Film, cable, coating, and battery grades require 325-mesh grit <= 10 to 30 ppm and ash <= 0.02% to 0.15%.

- Toluene Discoloration (ASTM D1618) and Extractable PAHs: Low toluene transmittance (< 85%) signals uncracked aromatic feedstock oil condensed on the Furnace Black surface, which can stain light-colored adjacent surfaces or violate food-contact (FDA 21 CFR 178.3297 / EU 10/2011), toy, and automotive interior PAH limits.

- Pellet Crush Strength, Fines, and Pour Density (ASTM D5230 / D1508 / D1513): Pelleted beads must be strong enough (10–35 cN) to survive pneumatic conveying from bulk silos without crushing into cohesive dust ('fines' > 5%–7% that cause hopper bridging), yet soft enough to disperse completely during a single mixer pass without leaving undispersed black specks.

HOW DOES CARBON BLACK WORK AT THE MOLECULAR AND INTERFACIAL LEVEL?

Colloidal paracrystalline carbon executes four distinct physicochemical mechanisms depending on the host polymer or liquid matrix:

- 1. Elastomer Reinforcement via Bound Rubber, Occluded Volume, and Chain-Slippage Hysteresis: Unfilled amorphous rubbers (such as SBR, BR, EPDM, or NBR) possess very low tensile and tear strength (2 to 3 MPa) because polymer chains slide past or rupture unevenly under load. When 35 to 75 phr of reinforcing Furnace Black (such as N110, N220, or N330) is compounded into rubber, elastomer chains physisorb and chemisorb onto high-energy prismatic crystallite edges on the carbon surface, forming an immobilized 2 to 5 nm interfacial polymer shell termed 'bound rubber' (insoluble even in boiling toluene). Simultaneously, elastomer trapped inside the branched voids of high-structure aggregates ('occluded rubber') is shielded from bulk deformation, multiplying the effective hydrodynamic filler volume fraction. Under tensile strain, polymer chains bridge between adjacent aciniform aggregates and slide frictionally along the carbon surface before rupturing—dissipating strain energy across trillions of nanoparticles and raising tensile strength tenfold (to 20–32 MPa) while arresting crack propagation. Under cyclic rolling deformation, reversible breaking and reformation of weak van der Waals bonds between aggregates (the Payne Effect) converts mechanical energy into heat (viscoelastic hysteresis / tan delta), delivering wet-skid traction at high frequencies (0–20 °C) while governing tire rolling resistance at 50–70 °C.

- 2. Broadband UV-Visible-IR Absorption and Regenerative Free-Radical Scavenging in Plastics: Because its turbostratic sp2 aromatic rings possess a continuous distribution of pi-to-pi* electronic transitions with zero energy band gap, Pigment Black 7 absorbs electromagnetic radiation across the entire solar spectrum from UV-C/UV-B/UV-A (200–400 nm) through visible (400–700 nm) and infrared wavelengths. In outdoor polyolefins (PE80/PE100 pressure pipes, LLDPE geomembranes, telecom cable sheaths, and agricultural mulch films), dispersing 2.0% to 2.6% w/w of fine Carbon Black (primary nodule size <= 20–25 nm) creates an optical shield that extinguishes >99% of destructive UV photons within the outer 5 to 15 microns of the polymer. Equally important, the polycondensed aromatic rings and surface quinone/phenolic groups on C.I. 77266 act as regenerative free-radical traps and hydroperoxide decomposers, quenching carbon-centered alkyl (R*) and oxygen-centered peroxy (ROO*) radicals formed during thermo- or photo-oxidation and extending outdoor service life from < 1 year to > 50 years.

- 3. Optical Jetness, Rayleigh Scattering, and Steric/Electrostatic Dispersion Stabilization: Achieving deep optical blackness ('jetness', My) in coatings and inks requires minimizing diffuse light back-scattered toward the viewer. Ultra-fine primary nodules (8 to 15 nm) with controlled aggregate structure scatter far less visible light than coarser particles (35 to 75 nm), yielding a deep piano-black mass tone. Because fine sub-wavelength particles scatter shorter blue wavelengths more strongly than longer red wavelengths (Rayleigh scattering), transmitted light through a thin ink film shows a warm brownish undertone, whereas back-scattered light from a white TiO2 tint reduction with coarse Lampblack (60 to 120 nm) exhibits a cool bluish-grey undertone. To prevent 12 nm primary aggregates from re-agglomerating via van der Waals attraction, post-oxidized Pigment Blacks provide acidic -COOH and -OH sites (pH 2.0–4.0) that anchor amine-functional block-copolymer dispersants, building a 5 to 10 nm steric barrier in solventborne resins or an electrostatic double layer in waterborne coatings.

- 4. Percolation Network Formation and Quantum Electron Tunneling in Conductive Composites & Batteries: Because sp2 graphene basal planes conduct electrons via delocalized pi-orbitals, dispersing high-structure Acetylene Black or Conductive Furnace Black into an insulating polymer or a lithium-ion battery electrode builds a three-dimensional fractal network of branched aggregates. Once the carbon volume fraction crosses the 'percolation threshold' (where inter-aggregate gaps narrow below 1.0 to 2.0 nm so electrons hop across interfaces via quantum-mechanical tunneling), bulk volume resistivity drops by 10 to 16 orders of magnitude—from 10^15 ohm*cm down to 1 to 100 ohm*cm. Because highly branched aggregates (OAN 180 to 330 mL/100 g) span large spatial volumes with minimal mass, high-structure conductive grades achieve percolation at 2% to 8% w/w loading where low-structure grades require 20% to 35% w/w.

ASTM D1765 CLASSIFICATION OF RUBBER CARBON BLACK GRADES (N110 TO N990)

For elastomer compounding and tire manufacturing, commercial reinforcing and semi-reinforcing grades are standardized globally under the ASTM D1765 four-character nomenclature system (one letter followed by three digits, such as N330 or N550):

- First Character (Cure Rate Letter 'N' or 'S'): 'N' designates a Normal curing rate in standard sulfur-accelerated rubber vulcanization (characteristic of non-oxidized Furnace Blacks, Thermal Blacks, and Acetylene Blacks with slurry pH 6.5 to 10.0). 'S' designates a Slow curing rate (characteristic of acidic Channel/Gas Blacks or post-oxidized blacks whose acidic surface oxygen groups adsorb alkaline vulcanization accelerators).

- Second Character (First Digit 0 to 9 — Primary Particle Diameter / Surface Area Group): Classifies the mean primary nodule diameter by transmission electron microscopy (and inversely the BET Nitrogen Surface Area): Group 0 (1–10 nm), Group 1 (11–19 nm, NSA 120–150 m2/g), Group 2 (20–25 nm, NSA 100–130 m2/g), Group 3 (26–30 nm, NSA 70–99 m2/g), Group 4 (31–39 nm, NSA 50–69 m2/g), Group 5 (40–48 nm, NSA 36–49 m2/g), Group 6 (49–60 nm, NSA 26–35 m2/g), Group 7 (61–100 nm, NSA 17–32 m2/g), Group 8 (101–200 nm), and Group 9 (201–500 nm, NSA 7–11 m2/g).

- Third and Fourth Characters (Two-Digit Structure / Grade Identifiers): Assigned by ASTM Committee D24 to distinguish grades within the same particle-size group that possess different aggregate structures (OAN / COAN levels): for example, within the 28–30 nm Group 3 family, N326 is a low-structure grade (OAN ~72 mL/100 g), N330 is the medium-structure HAF benchmark (OAN ~102 mL/100 g), and N339 / N347 are high-structure grades (OAN ~120–124 mL/100 g).

Technical Profile of the Principal ASTM D1765 Rubber Grades:
- Carbon Black N110, N115, and N121 (Super Abrasion Furnace, SAF): Primary nodule size 15–18 nm; Iodine Number 145–160 mg/g; NSA 125–145 m2/g; OAN 113–132 mL/100 g; COAN 96–112 mL/100 g. Imparts maximum roadwear abrasion resistance, tensile strength, and cut/chip/tear resistance for off-the-road (OTR) mining tires, aircraft tire treads, heavy truck tire treads, and severe-duty conveyor belt covers.

- Carbon Black N220 and N234 (Intermediate Super Abrasion Furnace, ISAF): Primary nodule size 20–23 nm; Iodine Number 120–121 mg/g; NSA 114–125 m2/g; OAN 114 mL/100 g (N220) and 125 mL/100 g (N234 high-structure); COAN 98–102 mL/100 g. Delivers an optimal balance of high treadwear mileage, wet traction, and processability for passenger car and commercial truck tire treads and high-load mechanical rubber goods.
- Carbon Black N330, N326, N339, and N375 (High Abrasion Furnace, HAF): The highest-volume reinforcing Furnace Black family worldwide. Standard N330 (nodule size 28–30 nm, IAN 82 mg/g, NSA 78 m2/g, STSA 75 m2/g, OAN 102 mL/100 g, COAN 88 mL/100 g, Tint 104%) provides high abrasion resistance, good resilience, easy dispersion, and moderate heat build-up across tire treads, sidewalls, carcass compounds, solid tires, conveyor belts, and molded industrial goods. Low-structure N326 (IAN 82 mg/g, NSA 78 m2/g, OAN 72 mL/100 g, COAN 68 mL/100 g) is engineered for steel-cord belt skim/breaker compounds requiring low modulus, high elongation, high tear strength, and strong brass-coated wire adhesion. High-structure N339 and N375 (NSA 91–93 m2/g, OAN 114–120 mL/100 g) serve in high-modulus passenger tire treads.

- Carbon Black N550 (Fast Extruding Furnace, FEF): Primary nodule size 40–45 nm; Iodine Number 43 mg/g; NSA 40 m2/g; STSA 39 m2/g; High Structure OAN 121 mL/100 g; COAN 85 mL/100 g. Because its high aggregate branching immobilizes occluded rubber while its medium-coarse nodule size keeps hysteresis low, N550 delivers smooth, glossy, low-die-swell extrusion, high uncured green strength, dimensional stability, high modulus, and good thermal conductivity for EPDM automotive door/window weatherstripping profiles, radiator/hydraulic hoses, tire innerliners, sidewalls, and cable jacketing.

- Carbon Black N660 and N650 (General Purpose Furnace, GPF): Primary nodule size 50–60 nm; Iodine Number 36 mg/g; NSA 35 m2/g; Medium Structure OAN 90 mL/100 g (N660) or High Structure OAN 122 mL/100 g (N650); COAN 74–84 mL/100 g. Combines moderate reinforcement, low Mooney viscosity, high filler loading capacity, low heat generation, high rebound resilience, and flex-fatigue resistance for halobutyl tire innerliners, carcass plies, sidewalls, molded O-rings, engine mounts, and footwear.

- Carbon Black N762 and N772 / N774 (Semi-Reinforcing Furnace, SRF): Primary nodule size 65–80 nm; Iodine Number 27–30 mg/g; NSA 28–32 m2/g; OAN 65–72 mL/100 g; COAN 59–63 mL/100 g. Allows high compound loadings (80 to 150 phr) with high dynamic elasticity, low compression set, and low heat build-up in gaskets, dynamic seals, hoses, belts, and mats.

- Carbon Black N990 (Medium Thermal, MT): Primary nodule size 250–350 nm; Iodine Number 9 mg/g; NSA 7–10 m2/g; Ultra-Low Structure OAN 38–43 mL/100 g; COAN 37–40 mL/100 g; Ash <= 0.2%. Consists of coarse discrete spheres produced from natural gas. Enables ultra-high filler loadings (100 to 300 phr) with minimal viscosity rise, maximum rebound resilience, ultra-low compression set, low gas permeability, and high chemical cleanliness in fluoroelastomer (FKM / FFKM), HNBR, NBR, and EPDM O-rings, oilfield packers, wire insulation, and refractory metallurgy.

SPECIALTY PIGMENT AND CONDUCTIVE CARBON BLACK CLASSIFICATIONS

Beyond the tire and rubber sector, Pigment Black 7 and Conductive Carbon Black grades engineered for coatings, printing inks, plastics masterbatches, synthetic fibers, and energy storage are classified by primary particle size (color intensity), aggregate structure (OAN), surface oxidation (volatiles/pH), and chemical cleanliness:

- High-Color (HC) Pigment Blacks (Primary Nodule Size 8–15 nm, BET NSA 200–560 m2/g, Jetness My 265–300+): Manufactured via the Gas Black or specialized Furnace Black processes and frequently post-oxidized (volatile content 4.0% to 15.0% w/w, slurry pH 2.0 to 3.5). Deliver deep piano-black mass tone, bluish-black jetness, and mirror gloss for automotive OEM basecoats, refinish clear/black systems, piano lacquers, luxury cosmetic packaging, and high-end electronics housings.

- Medium-Color (MC) Pigment Blacks (Primary Nodule Size 16–24 nm, BET NSA 90–200 m2/g, Jetness My 240–265): Supplied in both standard low-volatile (pH 7–9) and post-oxidized high-volatile (pH 2.5–4.0) variants across low-structure (OAN 50–75 mL/100 g for high-gloss coatings and 40%–50% plastic masterbatches) and regular-structure (OAN 90–115 mL/100 g) morphologies. Fine P-type MC Furnace Blacks (<= 20–25 nm, low grit, low moisture) serve as the global standard UV stabilizer for PE80/PE100 pressure pipes and geomembranes, as well as industrial coatings, leather finishes, and engineering plastics.

- Regular-Color (RC) and Low-Color (LC) Pigment Blacks (Primary Nodule Size 25–75 nm, BET NSA 25–85 m2/g, Jetness My 210–240): Provide rapid wetting, low binder demand, high tinting economy, and non-flocculating blue-grey undertone (in coarse 55–120 nm LC and Lampblack grades) for web-offset news inks, packaging flexo/gravure inks, general-purpose black masterbatches, blown agricultural mulch/silage films, garbage bags, automotive underbody coatings, and concrete/cement coloration.

- Conductive Furnace, Super-Conductive, and Acetylene Blacks (BET NSA 50–1,200 m2/g, High Structure OAN 160–330+ mL/100 g): Engineered with open, branched aciniform chains, low surface oxygen (volatiles < 0.5%–1.0%), ultra-low ash (<= 0.02%–0.08%), and ultra-low 325-mesh grit (<= 10–20 ppm) to form continuous electron-tunneling networks at low loadings in ESD/antistatic thermoplastics, ATEX conductive fuel systems, medium- and high-voltage XLPE cable semiconductive shields, and lithium-ion battery cathode and anode slurries.

WHAT PROBLEMS CAN CARBON BLACK HELP SOLVE?

Materials engineers, rubber compounders, plastic processors, and coating chemists incorporate Carbon Black and its specialized Furnace Black, Acetylene Black, and Pigment Black 7 variants to solve seven critical structural, optical, and environmental degradation challenges:

Rapid abrasion wear, tearing, and tensile failure of unfilled elastomers
Unfilled synthetic rubbers (SBR, BR, NBR, EPDM) lack strain-induced crystallization and rupture at low stresses (2–3 MPa), while even natural rubber wears rapidly under heavy tire loads. Compounding with reinforcing Furnace Blacks (N110, N220, N234, N330) multiplies tensile strength to 20–32 MPa and dramatically extends tire treadwear and conveyor-belt service life.

Extrusion die swell, profile distortion, and uncured slump in rubber hoses and seals
When uncured rubber profiles (such as hollow automotive EPDM door seals or hydraulic hoses) exit an extruder die, elastic memory causes uneven swelling and profile collapse during continuous hot-air or microwave vulcanization. High-structure Fast Extruding Furnace Black N550 (OAN 121 mL/100 g) traps occluded rubber inside its branched aggregates, suppressing die swell, boosting uncured green strength, and yielding smooth, dimensionally accurate extrudates.

Catastrophic solar UV photo-oxidation and embrittlement of outdoor plastics
Unprotected polyethylene (HDPE, LLDPE, LDPE), polypropylene, and PVC exposed to sunlight undergo rapid Norrish Type I/II chain scission and hydroperoxide radical attack, turning brittle and cracking within months. Dispersing 2.0% to 2.6% w/w of fine Pigment Black 7 (primary particle size <= 20–25 nm) absorbs >99% of incident UV radiation and quenches free radicals, protecting PE80/PE100 water and gas pipes, landfill geomembranes, drip-irrigation tubing, and cable jackets for 50+ years.

Washed-out grey appearance, brownish undertone, and pigment flocculation in coatings and inks
Coarse or poorly dispersed black pigments reflect diffuse light and flocculate in liquid resins, producing a dull dark-grey film with low gloss and thixotropic viscosity drift. Selecting fine (10–18 nm) post-oxidized Pigment Black 7 grades (volatile content 5%–14%, pH 2.5–3.8) provides acidic surface sites that anchor polymeric dispersants, delivering deep piano-black jetness (My > 270), mirror gloss, and Newtonian storage stability.

Electrostatic spark hazards and high-voltage electric field stress in insulating polymers
Insulating plastics and rubbers accumulate static charges (up to 30,000 V) that can ignite flammable vapors in automotive fuel lines, mining conveyor belts, or chemical pipes, or destroy microchips in electronics packaging. Similarly, micro-voids between a metal conductor and XLPE high-voltage cable insulation trigger destructive partial discharge. Adding high-structure Conductive Furnace Black or Acetylene Black lowers volume resistivity into the dissipative (10^6–10^9 ohm*cm) or conductive (< 10^2–10^4 ohm*cm) regime and creates ultra-smooth semiconductive HV cable shields.

High internal cell impedance and active-material isolation in Lithium-Ion battery electrodes
Cathode active materials such as LiFePO4 (LFP) and LiNiMnCoO2 (NMC) have poor intrinsic electronic conductivity. Incorporating 1.0% to 3.5% w/w of ultra-pure Acetylene Black (Fe, Cu, Ni < 5–20 ppm) establishes a resilient short-range electron-transport bridge across active oxide particles throughout thousands of charge/discharge cycles.

High compression set and viscosity overload in high-temperature fluoroelastomer and nitrile seals
In O-rings, shaft seals, and oilfield packers requiring high filler loadings with minimal viscosity rise and low permanent deformation (compression set), fine reinforcing blacks make the compound overly stiff and hysteretic. Coarse, ultra-low-structure Medium Thermal Black N990 (250–350 nm, OAN 40 mL/100 g) enables 100 to 250 phr loadings with low viscosity and exceptional elastic recovery.

BENEFITS FOR THE MANUFACTURER AND END USER

Selecting the engineered grade of Carbon Black delivers measurable processing advantages inside the manufacturing plant and long-term durability for the end user.

Benefits for the Compounder, Masterbatch Producer, and Coating/Ink Manufacturer:
- Independent Morphological Control Across Two Axes: Independent tuning of Nitrogen Surface Area (NSA 7 to >1,100 m2/g) and aggregate branching structure (OAN 35 to >330 mL/100 g) enables precise optimization of compound viscosity, modulus, extrusion smoothness, electrical percolation, or optical jetness.
- Dust-Free Pneumatic Conveying and Gravimetric Dosing: Wet- and dry-pelleted Furnace Black and Thermal Black beads (pour density 320 to 520 g/L) flow cleanly from silos and FIBC big bags into automated loss-in-weight feeders, while fluffy powder grades (60 to 240 g/L) are available for low-shear liquid mills.
- Surface-Oxidized Grades for High-Loading, Low-Viscosity Millbases: Post-oxidized C.I. Pigment Black 7 grades (volatile content 4%–15%, pH 2.0–4.0) wet rapidly in polar resins and permit 25% to 50% higher pigment concentration in bead-mill concentrates without gelation.
- Extreme Thermal and Chemical Inertness: Completely insoluble in water, acids, alkalis, and organic solvents, non-bleeding, non-migrating, and thermally stable through high-temperature polymer melt extrusion at 200 to 350+ °C.
Benefits for the Final Product and End User:
- Maximum Tire Treadwear Mileage, Traction, and Structural Safety: Multiplies elastomer tensile strength, tear strength, cut-and-chip resistance, and sidewall flex-fatigue life.
- 50+ Year Outdoor UV Weatherability (Blue Wool Scale 8): Provides permanent lightfastness and UV/free-radical stabilization in outdoor pipes, geomembranes, cables, and exterior coatings.
- Permanent, Humidity-Independent Antistatic and Conductive Protection: Unlike migrating antistatic surfactants that wash off or fail below 20% relative humidity, Acetylene Black and Conductive Furnace Black networks provide permanent electronic conductivity across all environments.

APPLICATIONS OF CARBON BLACK

Carbon Black and its specialized ASTM rubber, Pigment Black 7, and conductive grades serve across elastomer compounding, thermoplastics, coatings, graphic arts, electrochemical energy storage, and metallurgy.

Automotive, commercial truck, aircraft, and off-the-road (OTR) tire manufacturing
Tire manufacturing accounts for roughly 65% to 70% of global Furnace Black consumption. A single radial tire incorporates multiple ASTM D1765 grades matched to each structural zone: high-surface-area N110, N115, N220, N234, N339, or N375 in the tread for road abrasion resistance and traction; N330 and N550 in the sidewall and rim cushion for flex-fatigue durability and ozone/UV protection; low-structure N326 in the steel-belt skim compound for high tear resistance and brass-wire adhesion; and N660 (or N550/N772) in the halobutyl innerliner and carcass plies for low hysteresis and low air permeability.

Industrial and automotive mechanical rubber goods (MRG)
Non-tire elastomer products consume 10% to 15% of global tonnage, including EPDM automotive door/window weatherstripping profiles, radiator and turbocharger coolant hoses, hydraulic and fuel hoses, mining and industrial conveyor belts, power-transmission V-belts and timing belts, engine anti-vibration mounts, bridge bearings, dock fenders, EPDM roofing membranes, footwear soles, and FKM/NBR/HNBR O-rings and oilfield seals (utilizing N330, N550, N660, N772, and Thermal Black N990).

Thermoplastic masterbatches, UV-stabilized pipes, geomembranes, films, and molded plastics
In plastics compounding, Pigment Black 7 is compounded at 30% to 50% w/w into PE, PP, PS, ABS, PC, PA, or EVA carrier resins on twin-screw extruders to manufacture Black Masterbatches, which are let down at 1% to 6% in final extrusion or injection molding. Fine P-type Furnace Blacks (15–25 nm, 325-mesh grit <= 20 ppm) are dosed at 2.0% to 2.6% w/w to UV-stabilize PE80/PE100 potable water and gas pressure pipes, LLDPE landfill/mining geomembranes, drip-irrigation tubing, agricultural mulch/silage films, and automotive exterior/interior trim.

Wire and cable jacketing and semiconductive HV power cable shields
In telecommunications and power cables, fine weather-resistant Carbon Black protects outer PE/PVC jackets against solar UV degradation, while ultra-clean, ultra-low-grit, low-sulfur Acetylene Black or Conductive Furnace Black (compounded at 25% to 38% w/w into EVA, EEA, or EPDM) forms the smooth inner conductor shield and outer insulation shield of medium- and high-voltage (15 kV to 500 kV) crosslinked polyethylene (XLPE) underground and submarine cables.

Automotive, industrial, architectural, coil, and wood coatings
As Colour Index Pigment Black 7 (C.I. 77266), colloidal carbon is the primary black pigment across solventborne, waterborne, high-solids, e-coat, and powder coatings. Post-oxidized High-Color (8–15 nm) grades impart deep piano-black mass tone to automotive OEM basecoats, refinish enamels, and consumer electronics; Medium-Color grades pigment industrial primers, coil coatings, and cathodic electrocoat baths; and coarse Low-Color or Lampblack grades (60–120 nm) provide non-flocculating bluish-grey tinting in TiO2 architectural and marine paints.

Printing inks, laser toners, and digital inkjet dispersions
In graphic arts, C.I. 77266 is the universal black pigment for coldset and heatset web-offset news inks, publication gravure inks, solventborne and waterborne flexographic packaging inks, UV-curable screen inks, electrophotographic laser toners, and sub-100 nm surface-modified digital inkjet inks.

Lithium-ion batteries, dry-cell batteries, fuel cells, and supercapacitors
In electrochemical energy storage, battery-grade Acetylene Black and Super-Conductive Furnace Black (purity >= 99.5%–99.9% C, trace Fe/Cu/Ni < 5–20 ppm, moisture <= 0.1%) are dispersed with PVDF or SBR/CMC binders into cathode (LFP, NMC, NCA, LCO) and anode slurries to build a conductive electron-percolation network between active material particles and current collectors.

Refractories, hardmetals (tungsten carbide), metallurgy, sealants, and cosmetics
High-purity Thermal Black N990 and Furnace Black serve as carbon sources for carbothermal reduction in manufacturing tungsten carbide (WC) cutting tools and silicon carbide (SiC) ceramics, as high-temperature vacuum furnace thermal insulation, and in MgO-C refractory bricks. Pre-dried Furnace Blacks reinforce 1K polyurethane automotive windshield adhesives, while certified ultra-high-purity CI 77266 / D&C Black No. 2 grades pigment mascaras, liquid eyeliners, and brow cosmetics.

WHICH INDUSTRIES USE CARBON BLACK?

Carbon Black and its specialized Furnace Black, Thermal Black, Acetylene Black, and Pigment Black 7 grades serve as essential raw materials across major manufacturing sectors:
- Passenger Car, Commercial Truck, Bus, Agricultural, Aircraft, and Off-the-Road (OTR) Tire Manufacturing
- Industrial and Automotive Mechanical Rubber Goods (extruded EPDM weatherstripping, hydraulic/coolant hoses, conveyor and transmission belts, O-rings, seals, engine mounts, and EPDM roofing membranes)
- Thermoplastic Masterbatch Compounding and Polymer Processing (PE80/PE100 water and gas pipes, geomembranes, agricultural mulch/silage films, injection-molded automotive/electronics housings, and synthetic fibers)
- Wire, Power Cable, and Telecommunications Cable Manufacturing (UV-weatherable outer cable jacketing and ultra-clean XLPE semiconductive conductor/insulation shields)
- Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) and ATEX Conductive Plastics (semiconductor wafer trays, electronics tote boxes, conductive flooring, and fuel-handling components)
- Automotive OEM/Refinish, Industrial, Coil, Marine, Wood, and Architectural Paints and Coatings
- Printing Inks, Packaging Inks, Laser Toners, and Digital Inkjet Formulations
- Lithium-Ion Battery, Alkaline/Zinc-Carbon Dry Cell, Supercapacitor, and Fuel Cell Manufacturing
- Refractory Bricks, Metallurgy, Hardmetals (WC / SiC), and High-Temperature Vacuum Furnace Insulation
- Construction Chemicals, Adhesives, and Sealants (1K polyurethane automotive glass adhesives, structural sealants, and pigmented concrete/mortars)
- Cosmetics and Personal Care Manufacturing (mascara, liquid eyeliner, and eye cosmetics using certified cosmetic-grade CI 77266 / D&C Black No. 2)

USE OF CARBON BLACK IN TIRES AND INDUSTRIAL RUBBER COMPOUNDING

In elastomer technology, Furnace Black and Thermal Black act as active nanostructured reinforcing agents that govern the viscoelastic, mechanical, and extrusion behavior of natural rubber (NR) and synthetic rubbers (SBR, BR, EPDM, NBR, HNBR, CR, IIR, BIIR/CIIR, ACM, and FKM).
How Morphology Governs Rubber Performance:

- Surface Area Effect (Primary Particle Size, N110 to N990): Decreasing mean nodule diameter from 280 nm (Thermal Black N990) down to 18 nm (SAF N110) raises BET Nitrogen Surface Area from 8 m2/g to 140 m2/g. Higher surface area increases: (a) Tensile Strength, (b) Tear Resistance, (c) Roadwear Abrasion Resistance, (d) Compound Mooney Viscosity, and (e) Viscoelastic Hysteresis / Heat Build-up (tan delta at 60 °C). Conversely, lower surface area (N660, N772, N990) increases Rebound Resilience, Extrusion Rate, and Filler Loading Capacity while minimizing heat generation and compression set.

- Structure Effect (Aggregate Branching, OAN / COAN): Increasing aggregate structure (e.g., moving from low-structure N326 at OAN 72 mL/100 g to N330 at 102 mL/100 g to N339 at 120 mL/100 g, or using Fast Extruding Furnace N550 at 121 mL/100 g) increases: (a) 100% and 300% Modulus (stiffness), (b) Shore A Hardness, (c) Uncured Green Strength, (d) Extrusion Dimensional Stability (minimizing die swell and surface roughness), (e) Initial Wetting Rate during mixing, and (f) Electrical Conductivity, while reducing Elongation at Break.

Practical Banbury / Intermix Compounding Guidelines:
- Incorporation and Dispersion: High-surface-area, low-structure grades (such as N110 or N326) have high bulk density and small inter-aggregate voids, requiring higher specific mixing energy and two-stage or upside-down mixing to achieve ASTM D2663 / ISO 11345 optical dispersion ratings >= 9.0 without scorching. High-structure grades (such as N550) absorb process oils rapidly; when compounding high-oil EPDM profiles (e.g., 100 phr EPDM, 110 phr N550/N330, 70 phr paraffinic oil), charge the Furnace Black and oil in timed increments to maintain adequate shear stress for agglomerate breakdown.

- Cure-Rate Interaction: Standard Furnace Blacks (pH 7.0–9.5) promote normal sulfur vulcanization rates. When blending Carbon Black with precipitated silica in hybrid passenger tire treads, adjust secondary guanidine (DPG) and sulfenamide (CBS/TBBS) accelerator dosages according to the carbon-to-silica ratio.

USE OF CARBON BLACK IN PLASTICS, MASTERBATCHES, PIPES, FILMS AND CABLES

In thermoplastics and thermosets, C.I. Pigment Black 7 fulfills three distinct engineering functions: deep jet-black coloration, long-term solar UV weathering stabilization, and electrical conductivity / static dissipation.

1. UV Stabilization of Outdoor Polyolefins (PE80/PE100 Pipes, Geomembranes, Mulch Films, and Cable Jackets):
International standards for polyethylene pressure pipes (ISO 4427, EN 12201, and ASTM D3350 for PE80 and PE100 water and gas pipes), landfill geomembranes (GRI-GM13), and telecom cable sheaths mandate 2.0% to 2.6% w/w (up to 3.0% w/w) of finely divided, well-dispersed Carbon Black. To achieve 50+ years of outdoor UV life:
- Primary Particle Size must be <= 20 to 25 nm (corresponding to Medium-Color P-type Furnace Blacks with BET NSA >= 90–120 m2/g; coarse rubber grades like N550 or N660 at 45–60 nm leave unprotected polymer gaps between aggregates and cut UV lifetime by >60%).
- Microscope Dispersion Rating (ISO 18553) must achieve Grade <= 2.0–3.0 with zero coarse agglomerates, as undispersed agglomerates (> 30–50 microns) act as brittle stress-crack initiation flaws under hydrostatic pipe pressure.
- Low Moisture and Low Extractables ('P-Type' Pipe Grades): Moisture must be kept ultra-low and toluene extractables <= 0.10% w/w so high-temperature extrusion at 210–250 °C yields zero steam micro-voids, zero die-lip build-up, and zero odor/taste leaching into drinking water.

2. High-Jetness Coloration and Engineering Thermoplastic Masterbatches:
For injection-molded automotive interiors, electronics housings (ABS, PC/ABS, PA6, PA66, PBT, POM), and BOPP/PET packaging films, low-structure fine-particle Pigment Black 7 grades (14–20 nm, OAN 50–75 mL/100 g) are compounded at 30% to 50% w/w into carrier resins on co-rotating twin-screw extruders to produce high-jetness Black Masterbatches with bluish mass tone and low melt-viscosity build.

3. Food-Contact Plastics and PAH Regulatory Compliance:
When Carbon Black colors food-contact plastic packaging, trays, crates, or coffee capsules, general rubber-grade Furnace Black must never be used. Only High-Purity Food-Contact grades compliant with US FDA 21 CFR 178.3297 (total PAHs <= 0.5 ppm, benzo[a]pyrene <= 5 ppb) and EU Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 (FCM No. 411: toluene extractables <= 0.10%, UV absorption of cyclohexane extract at 386 nm < 0.02 AU, benzo[a]pyrene <= 0.25 mg/kg, max use level 2.5% w/w in polymer) are permitted.

USE OF CARBON BLACK IN PAINTS, COATINGS, PRINTING INKS AND TONERS

In liquid coatings, powder coatings, printing inks, and toners, Pigment Black 7 (C.I. 77266) delivers hiding power and tinting strength far exceeding any mineral or organic black pigment—achieving complete opacity at film thicknesses of 15 to 25 microns with just 1.5% to 4.0% pigment on total coating weight.
Matching Morphology and Surface Chemistry to Coating and Ink Systems:
- Full-Shade Piano-Black Jetness (Automotive Basecoats, Piano Lacquers, Electronics Coatings): Requires High-Color (HC) or fine Medium-Color (MC) grades with primary nodule diameters of 8 to 18 nm (NSA 180 to 560 m2/g) and low-to-medium structure (OAN 45–90 mL/100 g). Because 12 nm aggregates exert strong van der Waals attraction, using a Post-Oxidized Pigment Black 7 (volatile content 5% to 14% w/w, pH 2.5–3.8) paired with a high-MW polyurethane or polyacrylate block-copolymer dispersant (anchored via basic amine groups onto the acidic carbon surface at 40% to 90% active dispersant on pigment) is essential to achieve sub-90 nm bead-mill grind, Newtonian rheology, mirror gloss (> 90 GU at 20°), and bluish-black jetness (My > 270).
- Tinting and Grey Coatings (Architectural, Industrial, and Marine Paints): When blending a black pigment with coarse white Titanium Dioxide (TiO2, ~220–280 nm) at 1:10 to 1:100 ratios to formulate grey paints, fine 15 nm Carbon Blacks separate from the coarse TiO2 due to Bénard-cell convection currents during solvent drying—causing severe color streaking, flooding, and floating. Formulators eliminate this defect by selecting coarse, high-structure Low-Color (LC) Furnace Blacks or Lampblacks (primary particle size 55 to 120 nm, NSA 18–35 m2/g, OAN 100–125 mL/100 g) whose aggregate mobility matches TiO2 while scattering light to give a cool bluish-grey undertone.
- Printing Inks (Offset, Flexo, Gravure, and Inkjet): In web-offset news and heatset inks, Regular-Color Furnace Blacks (25–35 nm) provide high rub resistance, balanced tack, and rapid oil setting. Because unoxidized alkaline blacks can adsorb cobalt/manganese oxidative driers in sheetfed offset inks ('loss of dry'), post-oxidized ink grades or feeder driers are used. In packaging gravure and flexo inks, low-structure oxidized grades enable high pigment loadings (15%–22% w/w) at low viscosity.

USE OF CARBON BLACK IN BATTERIES, CONDUCTIVE POLYMERS AND CABLE SHIELDS

Conductive Furnace Blacks and Acetylene Blacks are engineered specifically to transport electrons across insulating polymer matrices and electrochemical interfaces:
- Lithium-Ion Battery Cathode and Anode Conductive Additives: Added at 1.0% to 3.5% w/w in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) / PVDF cathode slurries (LFP, NMC, NCA, LCO) or aqueous SBR/CMC graphite/silicon anode slurries, battery-grade Acetylene Black or Super-Conductive Furnace Black (NSA 60–800 m2/g, OAN 180–320 mL/100 g) builds a short-range point-to-point electron-conduction network around active oxide particles, lowering internal cell resistance and boosting high-C-rate power capability. Battery-grade Carbon Black must enforce strict ppm ceilings on magnetic particles and trace transition metals (Fe, Cu, Ni, Zn, Cr <= 5 to 20 ppm total) because trace metal contaminants dissolve at high cathode potentials (> 4.2 V vs. Li/Li+) and electroplate as metallic dendrites on the anode, triggering internal short circuits.
- Semiconductive Shields for Medium- and High-Voltage XLPE Power Cables: Compounded at 25% to 38% w/w into EVA, EEA, or EPDM, ultra-clean Acetylene Black or Conductive Furnace Black forms the smooth semiconductive shield bonded between the metal conductor and the XLPE insulation. This application requires ultra-low ionic ash (<= 0.02%–0.08%), ultra-low sulfur, and near-zero 325-mesh sieve grit (<= 10–20 ppm) to prevent water-treeing and high-voltage dielectric breakdown.
- Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) and ATEX Antistatic Compounds: Incorporated at 3% to 8% w/w (for Super-Conductive grades with NSA 800–1,100 m2/g) or 12% to 22% w/w (for standard Conductive Furnace / Acetylene Blacks with NSA 60–250 m2/g) into PP, PE, PC, PA, ABS, or TPU for cleanroom semiconductor wafer carriers, electronics trays, ATEX automotive fuel-line connectors, and mining conveyor belts.

USE OF CARBON BLACK IN COSMETICS AND FOOD-CONTACT REGULATION DISTINCTIONS

In regulated consumer sectors—specifically cosmetics, food-contact plastics, and food colorants—strict legal and purity boundaries govern C.I. 77266:
- Cosmetics and Personal Care (INCI: CARBON BLACK / CI 77266 / US FDA D&C Black No. 2): In eye-area and color cosmetics (mascara, liquid eyeliner, gel liner, brow pencils, eyeshadow, and nail polish), only certified ultra-high-purity Cosmetic Grade Carbon Black is permitted. Under EU Cosmetic Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 (Annex IV, Entry 126, CI 77266 and CI 77266 (nano)) and US FDA 21 CFR 74.2052 (D&C Black No. 2), cosmetic CI 77266 must satisfy stringent purity limits: elemental carbon >= 97.0%, ash <= 0.15%, total sulfur <= 0.65%, total extractable PAHs <= 0.5 ppm (500 ppb) with benzo[a]pyrene <= 0.005 ppm (5 ppb) and dibenz[a,h]anthracene <= 0.005 ppm (5 ppb), arsenic <= 3 ppm, lead <= 10 ppm, mercury <= 1 ppm, and primary particle size >= 20 nm for nano-regulated grades in non-spray applications. Standard industrial or rubber Furnace Black must never be used in cosmetics.
- Food-Contact Plastics and Rubber Articles (FDA 21 CFR 178.3297 / EU 10/2011): High-purity Low-PAH Furnace Blacks meeting strict toluene-extractable (<= 0.10%) and PAH ceilings are authorized for coloring food-contact polymers (up to 2.5% w/w in EU 10/2011 FCM No. 411) and food-handling rubber gaskets/conveyors (FDA 21 CFR 177.2600).
- Direct Food Coloring Distinction (E152 vs. E153 Vegetable Carbon): Hydrocarbon-derived Carbon Black (CAS 1333-86-4, historically coded E152) is NOT authorized as a direct food additive in the European Union or the United States. When a black colorant is added directly into confectionery (licorice), bakery goods, cheese coatings, or pharmaceutical tablets, manufacturers must use Vegetable Carbon / Activated Vegetable Charcoal (EU food additive E153, CAS 7440-44-0), which is produced by steam activation of carbonized botanical matter (wood, cellulose, peat, or coconut shells).

TYPICAL USE LEVELS AND INITIAL FORMULATION APPROACHES FOR CARBON BLACK

Typical incorporation levels for Furnace Black, Thermal Black, Acetylene Black, and Pigment Black 7 depend on the host matrix and functional goal:
- Tire Tread, Sidewall, and Mechanical Rubber Goods: 35 to 85 phr (parts per hundred parts of rubber) for reinforcing Furnace Blacks (N110, N220, N330, N550, N660); 80 to 250 phr for high-oil EPDM profiles or Thermal Black N990 compounds.
- Thermoplastic Black Masterbatch Concentrates: 30% to 50% w/w Carbon Black in PE, PP, PS, EVA, or universal carrier resin (let down at 2% to 6% w/w masterbatch in final plastic extrusion or molding).
- UV-Stabilized Outdoor Polyethylene Pressure Pipes (PE80/PE100), Geomembranes, and Cable Jackets: 2.0% to 2.6% w/w (up to 3.0% w/w) of fine (<= 20–25 nm) P-type Furnace Black in the final polymer.
- High-Jetness Automotive and Industrial Liquid Coatings: 1.2% to 4.5% w/w Pigment Black 7 on total liquid coating weight (prepared via a 12% to 25% w/w bead-milled pigment concentrate).
- Printing Inks (Offset, Flexo, Gravure, Inkjet): 10% to 24% w/w in finished paste/liquid inks (4% to 8% w/w in digital inkjet inks).
- Conductive / ESD Plastics and Semiconductive HV XLPE Cable Shields: 3% to 8% w/w for Super-Conductive Furnace Black; 12% to 22% w/w for standard Conductive Furnace or Acetylene Black in ESD compounds; 25% to 38% w/w in semiconductive HV cable shields.
- Lithium-Ion Battery Cathode and Anode Electrodes: 1.0% to 3.5% w/w Acetylene Black or Conductive Carbon Black on dry electrode solids.
- 1K Polyurethane Automotive Glass and Structural Adhesives: 15% to 28% w/w pre-dried Furnace Black (dried at 110–120 °C to <= 0.05% moisture).

COMPATIBILITY AND INCOMPATIBILITY OF CARBON BLACK

Because Carbon Black consists of 95.0% to 99.9% sp2 elemental carbon, its bulk skeleton is chemically inert, but its high specific surface area and surface functional groups create important formulation interactions:
- Broad Polymer and Solvent Compatibility: Furnace Black, Thermal Black, Acetylene Black, and Pigment Black 7 are compatible with virtually all natural and synthetic elastomers (NR, SBR, BR, EPDM, NBR, HNBR, CR, IIR, FKM, silicone), thermoplastics (PE, PP, PVC, PS, ABS, PA, PC, PET, PBT, POM, PEEK, PTFE), thermosets (epoxy, polyurethane, unsaturated polyester, phenolic, alkyd, acrylic), and all organic solvents and water.
- Adsorption of Rubber Curatives, Coating Driers, and Plastic Stabilizers: High-surface-area (> 100 m2/g) and surface-oxidized (pH < 5.0) Carbon Blacks physically or chemically adsorb basic rubber accelerators (DPG, CBS, TBBS), free-radical organic peroxides (especially dicumyl peroxide on acidic blacks), metallic paint/ink oxidative driers (Co, Mn, Zr carboxylates), and basic hindered amine light stabilizers (HALS). Formulators should pair peroxide-cured elastomers with neutral/alkaline Thermal Black N990 or low-NSA Furnace Blacks, include loss-of-dry feeder driers in oxidative alkyds, and select non-basic high-MW HALS or phenolic/thioester antioxidant packages in UV-stabilized polyolefins.
- Moisture Reactivity with Isocyanates (-NCO) and Organometallics: Adsorbed surface moisture (0.5% to 4.0% w/w on untreated high-NSA Pigment Black 7 or Conductive Carbon Black) reacts with aromatic and aliphatic diisocyanates in 1K/2K polyurethanes to generate CO2 gas foaming and viscosity climb, and hydrolyzes Ziegler-Natta or metallocene catalysts. Always pre-dry Carbon Black to <= 0.05%–0.10% moisture before adding to moisture-sensitive polyurethane sealants or reactive polymerizations.
- Chemical Incompatibilities with Strong Oxidizers: Dry Carbon Black powder or pelleted beads must never be mixed with or stored adjacent to strong oxidizing agents—such as liquid oxygen, chlorates, perchlorates, bromates, nitrates, permanganates, chromic acid, concentrated nitric acid, or peroxides—as mixtures of finely divided elemental carbon and strong oxidizers form shock- and heat-sensitive deflagrating or explosive compositions.
- Galvanic Corrosion of Anodic Metals in Conductive Composites: Because Conductive Carbon Black and Acetylene Black are electrically conductive and electrochemically noble (cathodic), direct electrical contact between a highly loaded conductive carbon composite (> 15%–25% w/w) and anodic metals such as aluminum, magnesium, zinc, or carbon steel in the presence of an electrolyte (salt water) can accelerate galvanic corrosion of the metal unless electrically insulated.

SIMILAR PRODUCTS AND ALTERNATIVES TO CARBON BLACK

When evaluating elastomer reinforcing fillers, black pigments, UV stabilizers, or conductive additives, materials engineers compare Carbon Black (CAS 1333-86-4, C.I. Pigment Black 7) against precipitated silica, black iron oxide, graphite, activated/vegetable carbon, bone black, and carbon nanotubes.

CARBON BLACK AND PRECIPITATED SILICA IN RUBBER REINFORCEMENT

Hydrated Precipitated Silica (SiO2*nH2O, CAS No. 112926-00-8 / 7631-86-9) is the primary non-black reinforcing filler competing with Furnace Black in passenger car tire treads ('Green Tires') and colored or translucent rubber goods.
Unlike Carbon Black—whose hydrophobic graphitic crystallite edges wet hydrocarbon elastomers naturally during single-stage mixing—Precipitated Silica is covered with hydrophilic silanol (-Si-OH) groups that hydrogen-bond strongly to one another and repel non-polar SBR/BR rubber, requiring expensive bifunctional organosilane coupling agents (such as bis(triethoxysilylpropyl)tetrasulfide, TESPT) and multi-stage reactive silanization in the Banbury mixer (with strict temperature and ethanol VOC emission controls). While silane-coupled silica lowers passenger tire rolling resistance (tan delta at 60 °C), reinforcing Furnace Black (N110, N220, N234, N330) delivers superior dry roadwear and cut/chip resistance (essential in heavy truck and mining OTR tires), inherent antistatic electrical conductivity, broadband UV protection, and silane-free compounding economy.

CARBON BLACK AND IRON OXIDE BLACK (PIGMENT BLACK 11)

Synthetic Black Iron Oxide (Magnetite, Fe3O4, C.I. Pigment Black 11, CAS No. 1317-61-9, density ~4.6–5.0 g/cm3, primary particle size 100–500 nm) is an inorganic mineral black pigment widely used in concrete paving stones, roof tiles, wood stains, and anti-corrosive primers.
Compared to Black Iron Oxide, Pigment Black 7 (C.I. 77266, density ~1.80 g/cm3, primary nodule size 8–75 nm) provides 5 to 10 times higher tinting strength and hiding power per kilogram, far deeper optical jetness (Iron Oxide Black yields a brownish-charcoal grey rather than piano black), 60% lower skeletal density (preventing hard pigment settling in low-viscosity inks and coatings), zero magnetic interference, and high thermal stability above 180 °C (where Fe3O4 oxidizes in air to brown/red ferric oxide, Fe2O3). Conversely, Black Iron Oxide wets easily in simple water-based cement slurries at high pigment loadings.

CARBON BLACK AND NATURAL / SYNTHETIC GRAPHITE

Graphite (C, CAS No. 7782-42-5, C.I. Pigment Black 10 / C.I. 77265, true density 2.26 g/cm3) is the macro-crystalline hexagonal allotrope of carbon consisting of micron-scale flat platelets (typically 2 to 100+ microns) with ordered ABAB basal plane stacking.
Whereas Graphite platelets slide over one another to provide solid dry lubrication, high thermal conductivity, and reversible lithium-ion intercalation as the active anode material (90%–96% w/w) in Li-ion batteries, Graphite has low specific surface area (1 to 20 m2/g), zero branched aciniform structure, a metallic grey sheen rather than jet blackness, and does not reinforce elastomers. In Li-ion battery anodes and conductive coatings, Acetylene Black or Conductive Carbon Black (1%–3% w/w, 30–50 nm branched aggregates) is added alongside micron-sized Graphite to bridge the point-to-point gaps between large Graphite flakes.

CARBON BLACK AND ACTIVATED CARBON / VEGETABLE CARBON (E153)

Activated Carbon and Vegetable Carbon (CAS No. 7440-44-0, EU food additive E153) are produced by carbonizing and steam- or chemically activating botanical or coal feedstocks (coconut shells, wood, peat, or coal) and milling the porous char into micron-sized particles.
Although both consist of elemental carbon, their nanostructures and technical functions are opposite: Activated Carbon is spongelike, with >90% of its 800–1,500 m2/g BET surface area located inside internal slit-like micropores (< 2 nm) designed to adsorb small molecules from water or gas, and its coarse, brittle milled particles (5–50 microns) have weak tinting strength and zero rubber reinforcement. Carbon Black (CAS 1333-86-4) consists of sub-micron aciniform aggregates (10–300 nm) where virtually all surface area is external and accessible to polymer chains and light waves. Conversely, for direct food coloring in the EU, only Vegetable Carbon (E153) is legally permitted.

CARBON BLACK AND BONE BLACK / IVORY BLACK (PIGMENT BLACK 9)

Bone Black (Charcoal, bone, C.I. Pigment Black 9, C.I. 77267, CAS No. 8021-99-6) is produced by calcining animal bones in closed retorts and contains only 10% to 20% elemental carbon deposited on an 80% to 85% inorganic hydroxyapatite / tricalcium phosphate (Ca3(PO4)2) mineral skeleton.
Bone Black has coarse particle size, higher density (~2.3 g/cm3), high ash content (>80%), animal origin (non-vegan, requiring BSE/TSE controls), and low tinting strength, restricting its use to artist paints and specialty matte finishes. Pigment Black 7 (Carbon Black, C.I. 77266) is 95%–99.9% pure carbon, 100% animal-free, and roughly 10 times stronger in tinting power.

CARBON BLACK AND CARBON NANOTUBES (CNT) / GRAPHENE

Single-Walled and Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (SWCNT / MWCNT, CAS No. 308068-56-6) and Graphene Nanoplatelets are high-aspect-ratio (1D tubular or 2D sheet) carbon nanomaterials that achieve electrical percolation at ultra-low loadings (0.05% to 1.5% w/w).
However, CNTs and graphene are orders of magnitude more expensive than Conductive Furnace Black or Acetylene Black, require intensive ultrasonic or specialized masterbatch dispersion to disentangle, and provide primarily long-range fiber-like bridging. In modern high-energy Li-ion battery cathodes and conductive polymers, formulators frequently pair 1.5%–2.5% Acetylene Black (for short-range point-to-point particle contact and electrolyte retention) with 0.2%–0.5% CNT (for long-range bridging).

QUALITY GRADES, QUALITY CONTROL AND PURCHASING CRITERIA FOR CARBON BLACK

Commercial Carbon Black is manufactured and supplied in five principal quality families:

- 1. Standard ASTM D1765 Rubber Reinforcing Grades (N110, N115, N220, N234, N326, N330, N339, N375, N550, N650, N660, N762, N772, N990): Supplied predominantly as wet- or dry-pelleted beads tested against ASTM D1765 specifications for Iodine Number, NSA, STSA, OAN, COAN, Tint Strength, Heating Loss, Ash, Sieve Residue, and Pellet Fines.

- 2. Specialty Pigment Black 7 Grades for Coatings, Inks, and Toners (High-Color HC, Medium-Color MC, Regular-Color RC, Low-Color LC, and Lampblack): Supplied as fluffy powders or easily dispersible soft beads in both standard and post-oxidized (high-volatile 3.5%–15%, acidic pH 2.0–4.5) versions, controlled for Jetness (My), Undertone (Mc), BET NSA, OAN, Volatiles, and 325-mesh grit.

- 3. Plastic Masterbatch, Pipe (P-Type), Film, and Fiber Grades: Engineered for low moisture, ultra-low 325-mesh grit (<= 10–30 ppm), low ash, and high dispersibility (low Filter Pressure Value, FPV), with primary nodule size <= 20–25 nm for 50-year UV pressure-pipe and geomembrane stabilization.

- 4. High-Purity / Low-PAH Food-Contact, Toy, and Cosmetic Grades: Manufactured under strict feedstock and reactor controls to guarantee Toluene Extractables <= 0.10% w/w and ultra-low PAH levels compliant with US FDA 21 CFR 178.3297, EU Regulation 10/2011 (FCM 411), AfPS GS / REACH Annex XVII Entry 50, or Cosmetic CI 77266 / D&C Black No. 2.

- 5. Conductive Furnace, Super-Conductive, and Acetylene Black Grades: High-structure (OAN 160–330+ mL/100 g), low-volatile, ultra-low-ash (<= 0.02%–0.08%), and ultra-low-metal (Fe, Cu, Ni < 5–20 ppm) grades for ESD plastics, semiconductive HV XLPE cable shields, and Li-ion battery electrodes.
Incoming Quality-Control (QC) Parameters to Verify on Every Shipment:
- Grade Designation (ASTM N330, N550, N660, N990, Pigment Black 7 HC/MC/RC, or Acetylene Black) and Physical Form (Pelleted Beads vs. Fluffy Powder)
- CAS No. 1333-86-4 and EC / EINECS No. 215-609-9
- Nitrogen Surface Area (NSA and STSA, ASTM D6556, m2/g) and Iodine Adsorption Number (ASTM D1510, mg/g)
- Oil Absorption Number (OAN, ASTM D2414, mL/100 g) and Compressed OAN (COAN, ASTM D3493)
- Tint Strength (ASTM D3265, %) or Optical Blackness / Jetness Value (My, DIN 55979)
- Heating Loss / Moisture Content (ASTM D1509, %) and Volatile Content at 950 °C (DIN 53552, %)
- Aqueous Slurry pH (ASTM D1512)
- Ash Content (ASTM D1506, %) and Water-Wash Sieve Residue on 325 Mesh / 45 Microns and 35 Mesh / 500 Microns (ASTM D1514, ppm)
- Toluene Discoloration (% Transmittance, ASTM D1618) and PAH Compliance Certificate (where required for food contact, toys, cosmetics, or EU REACH)
- Pour Density (ASTM D1513, g/L) and Pellet Crush Strength / Fines Content (ASTM D5230 / D1508)

STORAGE AND HANDLING OF CARBON BLACK

Warehouse Storage Conditions for Carbon Black: Store Carbon Black (including Furnace Black, Thermal Black, Acetylene Black, and Pigment Black 7) in tightly sealed original multi-wall polyethylene-lined paper bags, FIBC big bags, or dry, weather-tight bulk storage silos in a cool, dry, well-ventilated indoor warehouse away from direct moisture, high relative humidity, open flames, and incompatible chemicals.
Moisture Pickup Prevention in High-Surface-Area Grades: Although standard rubber-grade Furnace Black and Thermal Black N990 are hydrophobic, high-surface-area Conductive Carbon Black (NSA > 100 m2/g) and post-oxidized polar Pigment Black 7 grades rapidly adsorb atmospheric water vapor if bags of Carbon Black are left open in humid warehouses. Adsorbed moisture (> 1.0%–2.0% w/w in C.I. 77266) causes steam microporosity during rubber continuous vulcanization and thermoplastic pipe/film extrusion, increases electrostatic powder clumping, and reacts with diisocyanates in polyurethane sealants. Reseal partially used bags of Carbon Black immediately and pre-dry hygroscopic Pigment Black 7 or Acetylene Black grades at 105 to 120 °C before moisture-sensitive processing.

Safe Handling, Dust Control, and Grounding Procedures: Handle Carbon Black beads and fluffy C.I. Pigment Black 7 powders using closed pneumatic conveying lines, vacuum transfer wands, or bag-dump stations equipped with local exhaust ventilation (LEV) and PTFE-membrane dust collector cartridges to keep airborne Carbon Black dust below occupational exposure limits (3.0 to 3.5 mg/m3 8-hour TWA). Never sweep dry Carbon Black or Furnace Black spills with brooms or compressed air jets, which suspend breathable colloidal carbon clouds in the workplace; always clean spilled Carbon Black using HEPA-filtered industrial vacuum systems or wet-mopping with surfactant water (noting that wet Carbon Black films make smooth floors slippery). Because airborne Carbon Black and Acetylene Black dust is electrically conductive, ground all silos, pneumatic transfer pipes, mixers, and FIBC big bags to dissipate static charges, and seal electrical switchgear panels (IP65) so settled Carbon Black dust cannot cause electrical short circuits.
Segregation and Confined-Space Silo Precautions: Strictly segregate stored Carbon Black and Furnace Black from strong oxidizing agents (chlorates, perchlorates, nitrates, permanganates, peroxides, and concentrated nitric acid) and from volatile organic solvent vapors, as high-surface-area Carbon Black can adsorb organic vapors exothermically. Never enter a bulk Carbon Black storage silo or confined hopper without executing strict confined-space entry procedures and testing internal oxygen (O2) and carbon monoxide (CO) levels, because large bulk masses of warm Carbon Black can undergo slow surface oxidation in air that depletes oxygen and generates odorless, toxic carbon monoxide gas.

FIRST AID MEASURES AND SAFETY INFORMATION FOR CARBON BLACK

First Aid Measures for Carbon Black (Pigment Black 7 / Furnace Black / Acetylene Black / Thermal Black):

- Inhalation of Carbon Black Dust: If a worker inhales airborne Carbon Black dust or fluffy C.I. Pigment Black 7 powder aerosols, immediately move the exposed person out of the dusty area into fresh air and keep them warm and at rest in a comfortable breathing position. Encourage gentle nose-blowing and throat rinsing with water to clear mechanical Carbon Black dust deposits from the upper nasal and pharyngeal passages; seek medical attention if coughing, shortness of breath, or respiratory irritation persists after Carbon Black inhalation.

- Eye Contact with Carbon Black: If Carbon Black particles, Furnace Black pellets, or C.I. 77266 powder enter the eyes, do not allow the victim to rub the eyes (as mechanical rubbing of Carbon Black particles can abrade the cornea). Immediately flush the eyes with lukewarm running water or sterile isotonic eyewash solution for at least 15 minutes while holding the eyelids wide open and removing contact lenses if present and easy to do; obtain medical attention if redness, mechanical irritation, or residual Carbon Black specks remain.

- Skin Contact with Carbon Black: Wash skin soiled with Carbon Black, Furnace Black, or Acetylene Black thoroughly using mild soap, a skin-safe surfactant cleanser, and plenty of lukewarm running water, and remove dust-soiled work clothing for laundering. Never use harsh organic solvents (such as toluene, xylene, acetone, or gasoline) to wash Carbon Black stains off the skin, as solvents strip natural skin lipids and promote dermal irritation; apply a barrier cream before work and a moisturizing lotion after washing off Carbon Black.

- Ingestion of Carbon Black: If Carbon Black or Pigment Black 7 is accidentally swallowed, rinse the mouth thoroughly with water and give the conscious person 1 to 2 glasses of water to drink. Do not induce vomiting after Carbon Black ingestion unless explicitly directed by medical personnel, and consult a physician if gastrointestinal discomfort occurs.

Workplace Safety, GHS Classification, and Occupational Exposure Limits for Carbon Black:
Under the UN Globally Harmonized System (GHS) and EU CLP Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, manufactured Carbon Black (CAS 1333-86-4, EC 215-609-9) does not carry a harmonized Annex VI hazardous substance classification, and oral/dermal acute toxicity is extremely low (oral LD50 in rats > 8,000 to > 10,000 mg/kg for Carbon Black). However, occupational dust exposure must be strictly controlled: national authorities enforce an 8-hour Time-Weighted Average (TWA) workplace exposure limit for inhalable Carbon Black dust of 3.0 to 3.5 mg/m3 (US OSHA PEL and NIOSH REL = 3.5 mg/m3 TWA; ACGIH TLV = 3.0 mg/m3 inhalable particulate matter). Prolonged chronic inhalation of high unbound Carbon Black dust concentrations above occupational limits can cause lung overload and pulmonary fibrosis in rats (IARC classifies airborne unbound Carbon Black dust as Group 2B, possibly carcinogenic to humans via high-dose dust inhalation, while explicitly confirming that Carbon Black bound inside rubber, plastic, coating, or ink matrices poses no inhalation hazard).

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for Handling Carbon Black:
Operators handling open bags of Carbon Black beads or fluffy Pigment Black 7 / Acetylene Black powders must wear dust-tight safety goggles (EN 166), impervious nitrile or leather work gloves, long-sleeved anti-static workwear, safety footwear, and an approved particulate respirator (EN 149 FFP2 or FFP3 / NIOSH N95 or N100) whenever local exhaust ventilation cannot keep airborne Carbon Black dust well below 3.0 mg/m3.

Commercial Packaging and Transport Logistics for Carbon Black:
- 10 kg, 15 kg, 20 kg, or 25 kg net multi-wall kraft paper or polyethylene/woven polypropylene valve bags (pelleted Furnace Black and Thermal Black beads typically 20–25 kg bags; low-density fluffy Pigment Black 7 and Acetylene Black powders typically 10–15 kg bags)
- Low-melting-point EVA/PE direct-inclusion bags (for closed-bag charging of Carbon Black directly into Banbury rubber mixers and plastic compounders with zero workplace dust)
- 500 kg to 1,100 kg net Flexible Intermediate Bulk Containers (FIBC / big bags / jumbo bags) with bottom discharge spouts
- Bulk pneumatic road tankers and railcars (for high-volume tire and masterbatch plants)
Transport Classification: Manufactured Carbon Black (CAS 1333-86-4, produced from liquid or gaseous hydrocarbons via the Furnace Black, Thermal Black, Acetylene Black, Gas Black, or Lampblack processes) passes the UN Manual of Tests and Criteria N.4 self-heating test and is NOT classified as Dangerous Goods under ADR/RID, IMDG, or IATA transport regulations (unlike steam-activated vegetable or animal charcoals under UN 1361, Class 4.2; always verify Section 14 of the supplier's current Carbon Black SDS).

WHAT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED WHEN PURCHASING CARBON BLACK?

Because commercial C.I. 77266 encompasses hundreds of distinct grades spanning primary particle sizes from 8 nm to 500 nm, structures from 35 to >330 mL/100 g, and physical forms from dense beads to fluffy oxidized powders, defining the exact technical parameters in your Request for Quotation (RFQ) is essential:

- 1. Target Industry and Host Polymer/Binder Matrix: Specify whether the Carbon Black is intended for tire/rubber compounding (NR, SBR, BR, EPDM, NBR, FKM), thermoplastic masterbatch/pipe/film extrusion (PE80/PE100, PP, ABS, PA, PC), solventborne/waterborne coatings, printing inks, Li-ion battery electrodes, or conductive/ESD polymers.

- 2. Exact ASTM D1765 Code or Morphological Target Window: For elastomers, state the exact ASTM grade (e.g., N110, N220, N234, N326, N330, N339, N550, N660, N772, or Thermal Black N990). For pigment, plastic, or conductive uses, specify the target BET Nitrogen Surface Area (NSA, m2/g), Oil Absorption Number (OAN, mL/100 g), Tint Strength or Jetness (My), and whether a Post-Oxidized (acidic pH 2.0–4.0, volatiles 3.5%–15.0%) or Standard (neutral/alkaline pH 6.5–10.0, volatiles < 1.5%) surface is required.

- 3. Physical Form (Pelleted Beads vs. Fluffy Powder): Specify Pelleted Beads for internal Banbury mixers, twin-screw extruders, and pneumatic bulk conveying, or Fluffy Powder (or easily dispersible soft beads) for liquid coatings, printing inks, three-roll mills, and plastisols.

- 4. Cleanliness and Regulatory Compliance Ceilings: Specify maximum 325-mesh sieve residue (e.g., <= 10–30 ppm for thin films, pressure pipes, fibers, HV cable shields, and batteries), maximum ash, trace metal ceilings (for battery-grade Acetylene Black), and required regulatory compliance (US FDA 21 CFR 178.3297, EU 10/2011 FCM 411, low-PAH AfPS GS / REACH Annex XVII Entry 50, or Cosmetic CI 77266 / D&C Black No. 2).

- 5. Packaging Format and Order Volume: Specify 10–25 kg paper/PE bags, direct-inclusion EVA bags, 500–1,000 kg FIBC big bags, palletization requirements, spot shipment quantity, and annual volume forecast.

CARBON BLACK SUPPLY FROM ATAMAN KİMYA

Carbon Black (CAS No. 1333-86-4, EC No. 215-609-9, Colour Index Pigment Black 7 / C.I. 77266) is supplied by Ataman Kimya across ASTM D1765 rubber reinforcing Furnace Black and Thermal Black grades (including N110, N220, N234, N326, N330, N339, N375, N550, N660, N772, and N990), specialty Pigment Black 7 grades (High-Color, Medium-Color, Regular-Color, Low-Color, and post-oxidized grades for coatings, printing inks, and plastics masterbatches), UV-stabilizing pipe and film grades, and Conductive Furnace / Acetylene Black grades.
Companies planning to source Carbon Black from Ataman Kimya can share their target application, host polymer or resin system, and analytical specification requirements to confirm grade suitability, physical form (pelleted beads vs. fluffy powder), current stock availability, packaging options, and commercial quotation details.
Sharing the following information in a quotation request facilitates rapid technical matching:
- Application sector and host polymer or binder system (rubber compounding, PE/PP/engineering plastic masterbatch, PE100 pressure pipe, liquid/powder coating, printing ink, polyurethane sealant, or conductive/battery system)
- Requested ASTM N-series code (e.g., N220, N330, N550, N660, N990) or target pigment/conductive parameters (BET NSA surface area in m2/g, OAN structure in mL/100 g, tint strength/jetness My, slurry pH, and volatile content %)
- Required physical form (free-flowing pelleted beads vs. fluffy powder)
- Required cleanliness and regulatory certifications (325-mesh grit limit, ash limit, FDA 21 CFR 178.3297 / EU 10/2011 food-contact compliance, low-PAH limits, or Cosmetic CI 77266 compliance)
- Estimated order quantity (spot shipment and annual forecast) and preferred packaging (10–25 kg bags, EVA inclusion bags, or 500–1,000 kg FIBC big bags)
- Delivery destination, preferred Incoterms, and required technical documentation (TDS, SDS, COA, and incumbent product specification if evaluating a replacement)

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT CARBON BLACK

What is Carbon Black?
Carbon Black (also known as Furnace Black, Acetylene Black, Thermal Black, Channel Black, Lampblack, and Colour Index Pigment Black 7 / C.I. 77266, CAS No. 1333-86-4, EC No. 215-609-9) is an engineered paracrystalline colloidal form of elemental carbon (95.0% to 99.9% C) manufactured by the controlled incomplete combustion or thermal decomposition of hydrocarbons, consisting of spherical primary nodules (8 to 500 nm) covalently fused into branched aciniform aggregates.

Is Carbon Black the same as combustion soot?
No. Raw chimney or diesel soot is an uncontrolled, heterogeneous waste by-product containing 20% to 50%+ inorganic fly ash, occluded tars, and high levels of extractable polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Manufactured Carbon Black (Pigment Black 7) is a precision-engineered chemical raw material (>95% to 99.9% carbon) produced in closed reactors with controlled primary nodule size, aggregate structure, and ultra-low ash and extractables.

What is the CAS number, EC number, and Colour Index number of Carbon Black?
Manufactured Carbon Black is registered globally under CAS Registry Number 1333-86-4, European Community (EC / EINECS) Number 215-609-9, Colour Index Generic Name Pigment Black 7 (P.Bk.7), and Colour Index Constitution Number C.I. 77266 (cosmetic INCI name: CARBON BLACK or CI 77266).

How is Carbon Black manufactured industrially?
Over 90% of global tonnage is produced by the Oil Furnace Black process (injecting aromatic feedstock oil into a 1,400–1,900 °C natural-gas/air plasma followed by rapid water quench). Specialized grades are manufactured via the Thermal Black process (oxygen-free cracking of methane at 1,300–1,400 °C), the Acetylene Black process (exothermic oxygen-free self-decomposition of acetylene gas at 1,800–2,200 °C), the oxidative Gas / Channel Black process, and the Lampblack process.

What are primary particles, aggregates, and agglomerates in Carbon Black?
Primary particles (nodules, 8–500 nm) are the spherical turbostratic carbon domains formed first in the flame; they immediately fuse via covalent carbon layers into branched three-dimensional clusters called primary aggregates (50–1,000 nm), which represent the smallest indivisible dispersible unit of Furnace Black. Outside the reactor, aggregates cling together via weak van der Waals forces into macroscopic agglomerates (1–100+ microns) that must be de-agglomerated back into primary aggregates during compounding or milling.

What does 'Structure' (OAN / DBP absorption) mean in Carbon Black?
Structure refers to the degree of three-dimensional branching and internal void volume of the covalently fused primary aggregates, quantified by the Oil Absorption Number (OAN, formerly DBP absorption, ASTM D2414, in mL of oil per 100 g of Carbon Black). High-structure grades (OAN 115 to >320 mL/100 g) increase rubber modulus, extrusion dimensional stability, and electrical conductivity, whereas low-structure grades (OAN 35 to 75 mL/100 g) yield lower viscosity and higher gloss in coatings and inks.

What is the difference between NSA, STSA, and Iodine Adsorption Number?
Nitrogen Surface Area (NSA, ASTM D6556) measures total multipoint BET surface area including internal micropores (< 2 nm). Statistical Thickness Surface Area (STSA) measures only the external surface area accessible to rubber and polymer macromolecules. Iodine Adsorption Number (IAN, ASTM D1510, mg I2/g) is a rapid titration test for standard rubber Furnace Blacks, but it is artificially depressed by surface oxygen groups and must never be used on post-oxidized Pigment Blacks.

How does the ASTM D1765 naming system (such as N220, N330, N550, N660, N990) work?
In ASTM D1765 four-character codes, the first letter indicates vulcanization cure rate ('N' for Normal curing alkaline/neutral Furnace and Thermal Blacks; 'S' for Slow curing acidic blacks), the first digit (0 to 9) indicates the mean primary nodule diameter group in nanometers (1 = 11–19 nm, 2 = 20–25 nm, 3 = 26–30 nm, 5 = 40–48 nm, 6 = 49–60 nm, 7 = 61–100 nm, 9 = 201–500 nm), and the last two digits distinguish different aggregate structure (OAN) levels.

What is the difference between Carbon Black N220, N330, N550, N660, and N990?
N220 (ISAF, ~21 nm, NSA 115 m2/g, OAN 114 mL/100 g) delivers high treadwear and tear resistance for truck and passenger tires; N330 (HAF, ~29 nm, NSA 78 m2/g, OAN 102 mL/100 g) is the universal reinforcing benchmark for tire treads, sidewalls, and mechanical rubber goods; N550 (FEF, ~43 nm, NSA 40 m2/g, high OAN 121 mL/100 g) imparts smooth, low-die-swell extrusion to EPDM weatherstripping and hoses; N660 (GPF, ~55 nm, NSA 35 m2/g, OAN 90 mL/100 g) gives low heat build-up and high resilience in tire innerliners and carcasses; and N990 (Medium Thermal Black, ~280 nm, NSA 8 m2/g, OAN 40 mL/100 g) enables 100–250 phr loadings with low compression set in FKM/NBR O-rings.

Why is Carbon Black essential for outdoor polyethylene (PE80/PE100) pipes and geomembranes?
Dispersing 2.0% to 2.6% w/w of fine Pigment Black 7 (primary nodule size <= 20–25 nm) provides both a broadband UV-A/UV-B optical screen and a regenerative free-radical and hydroperoxide scavenger, preventing solar photo-oxidative embrittlement and extending outdoor polyethylene service life beyond 50 years.

Can a coarse rubber Furnace Black like N550 or N660 be used to UV-stabilize outdoor polyethylene pipes?
No. Coarse grades like N550 (~43 nm) or N660 (~55 nm) have too few aggregates per unit volume and leave unprotected polymer pathways between particles, causing premature UV cracking. Pressure-pipe standards (ISO 4427 / EN 12201) strictly mandate fine primary particle size <= 20–25 nm (BET NSA >= 90–115 m2/g).

Why are specialty Pigment Black 7 grades post-oxidized?
Post-oxidizing Furnace Black or Gas Black with ozone, HNO3/NO2, or hot air grafts carboxylic (-COOH), lactonic, and phenolic (-OH) groups onto the carbon surface (raising volatile content to 3.5%–15.0% w/w and lowering slurry pH to 2.0–4.0). These polar acidic groups anchor amine-functional polymeric dispersants, cutting millbase viscosity, preventing flocculation, and maximizing optical jetness (My) and mirror gloss.

What controls whether a Carbon Black exhibits a bluish undertone or a brownish undertone?
In full-shade dark mass tones, ultra-fine primary particles (8–16 nm) minimize diffuse light scattering to produce a deep piano-black with a bluish-black appearance, whereas in transmitted light or thin printing ink films, Rayleigh scattering of short blue wavelengths makes fine grades appear warm brownish. Conversely, when tinted at 1%–5% into white TiO2 to make grey paint, coarse Lampblacks or Low-Color Furnace Blacks (60–120 nm) scatter light to produce a cool bluish-grey undertone.

Why do paint formulators use coarse Lampblack or Low-Color Furnace Black instead of fine High-Color Black in grey TiO2 coatings?
When a tiny 13 nm High-Color Pigment Black 7 is mixed with coarse 250 nm white Titanium Dioxide (TiO2), differential particle mobility in Bénard-cell convection currents during solvent evaporation causes phase separation ('flooding and floating' / rub-out color shift). Coarse 60–120 nm Lampblacks or Low-Color Furnace Blacks match TiO2 mobility, eliminating flooding and floating while imparting a cool bluish-grey tint.

How does Conductive Carbon Black make insulating plastics and elastomers electrically conductive?
High-structure Conductive Furnace Blacks and Acetylene Blacks (OAN 180 to >320 mL/100 g) form a three-dimensional fractal network of branched aggregates inside the polymer. Once the filler loading crosses the percolation threshold, electrons hop across 1–2 nm inter-aggregate gaps via quantum tunneling, dropping volume resistivity from 10^15 ohm*cm down to 1–100 ohm*cm.

What makes Acetylene Black uniquely suited for Lithium-Ion batteries and HV power cables?
Produced by the oxygen-free exothermic self-decomposition of purified acetylene gas at 1,800–2,200 °C, Acetylene Black possesses ultra-high carbon purity (>= 99.5%–99.9% C), near-zero ash (<= 0.02%–0.05%), ultra-low trace transition metals (Fe, Cu, Ni < 5–20 ppm), high graphitic crystallinity, hydrophobic low moisture pickup (<= 0.1%), and high chain structure (OAN 180–300 mL/100 g), preventing metallic dendrite short circuits in Li-ion cells and water-treeing in HV XLPE cables.

Why does over-mixing destroy electrical conductivity in conductive Carbon Black compounds?
Excessive mechanical shear in twin-screw extruders or internal mixers fractures the long branched aggregate networks ('structure breakdown') and encapsulates isolated fragments in thick insulating polymer shells, interrupting electron-tunneling pathways and causing electrical resistivity to rise sharply.

When should I choose Pelleted Beads versus Fluffy Powder Carbon Black?
Select Pelleted Beads (pour density 320–520 g/L) for dust-free pneumatic conveying, loss-in-weight gravimetric feeding, high-shear Banbury rubber mixing, and twin-screw plastic compounding. Select Fluffy Powder (pour density 60–240 g/L) or easily dispersible soft beads for low-shear liquid coatings, printing inks, three-roll mills, and PVC plastisols where hard rubber pellets cannot be dispersed.

What is the difference between Carbon Black and Activated Carbon?
Carbon Black (CAS 1333-86-4) consists of sub-micron aciniform aggregates (10–500 nm) with predominantly external surface area engineered for elastomer reinforcement, jet-black pigmentation, UV stabilization, and electrical conductivity. Activated Carbon (CAS 7440-44-0) consists of micron-sized milled char particles riddled with internal micropores (< 2 nm, 800–1,500 m2/g) designed for gas and liquid molecule adsorption, and provides neither rubber reinforcement nor jet-black pigmentation.

What is the difference between Carbon Black (Pigment Black 7) and Black Iron Oxide (Pigment Black 11)?
Pigment Black 7 (Carbon Black, C.I. 77266, density ~1.80 g/cm3, 8–75 nm) is elemental carbon with 5x to 10x higher tinting strength, deep piano-black jetness, and thermal stability above 300 °C. Black Iron Oxide (C.I. Pigment Black 11, Fe3O4, density ~4.8 g/cm3, 100–500 nm) is a magnetic mineral oxide with lower tinting strength, a brownish-charcoal shade, and oxidizes in air to red Fe2O3 above 180 °C.

What is the difference between Carbon Black and Graphite?
Carbon Black consists of sub-micron branched aciniform aggregates of turbostratic spherical nodules that reinforce elastomers and impart deep jet blackness. Graphite (CAS 7782-42-5) consists of micron-scale flat hexagonal crystalline platelets (d002 = 0.3354 nm, density 2.26 g/cm3) that act as a dry lubricant, thermal conductor, and Li-ion anode active material, exhibiting a metallic grey sheen and zero elastomer reinforcement.

Is Carbon Black approved for food-contact plastics?
Yes, provided a specialized High-Purity / Low-PAH Food-Contact grade of Furnace Black is used that complies with US FDA 21 CFR 178.3297 (total PAHs <= 0.5 ppm, benzo[a]pyrene <= 5 ppb) and/or EU Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 (FCM Substance No. 411, toluene extractables <= 0.10%, benzo[a]pyrene <= 0.25 mg/kg, max 2.5% w/w in polymer). Standard industrial or tire grades must never be used in food-contact packaging.

Can Carbon Black (CAS 1333-86-4) be used as a direct food colorant (E153)?
No. Hydrocarbon-derived Carbon Black (CAS 1333-86-4, historical code E152) is not authorized as a direct food additive in the EU or US. Direct black food coloring requires Vegetable Carbon (E153, CAS 7440-44-0), produced by steam activation of carbonized botanical matter.

Is Carbon Black used in cosmetics such as mascara and liquid eyeliner?
Yes, but exclusively in certified ultra-high-purity Cosmetic Grades compliant with EU Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 (Annex IV Entry 126, CI 77266) and/or US FDA 21 CFR 74.2052 (D&C Black No. 2), which enforce strict ppb/ppm limits on PAHs, heavy metals (As <= 3 ppm, Pb <= 10 ppm, Hg <= 1 ppm), ash (<= 0.15%), and sulfur.

Why does acidic or high-surface-area Carbon Black retard sulfur rubber curing or alkyd paint drying?
Acidic surface oxygen functional groups (-COOH, slurry pH < 5.0) and high-NSA micropores adsorb basic rubber vulcanization accelerators (DPG, CBS) and metallic alkyd paint driers (Co, Mn carboxylates), slowing cure kinetics unless compensated by accelerator adjustment or feeder driers.

CARBON BLACK – TECHNICAL SUMMARY

Carbon Black—known in Turkish as Karbon Siyahı, Karbon Karası, or Pigment Siyah 7 and identified globally under CAS No. 1333-86-4, EC / EINECS No. 215-609-9, Colour Index Pigment Black 7 (C.I. 77266), and INCI name CARBON BLACK / CI 77266—is an engineered colloidal paracrystalline form of elemental carbon (95.0% to 99.9% C, atomic weight 12.011 g/mol) manufactured via the controlled incomplete combustion or thermal decomposition of hydrocarbons using the Oil Furnace Black, Thermal Black, Acetylene Black, Gas/Channel Black, or Lampblack processes. Its three-tier hierarchical nanostructure—consisting of turbostratic spherical primary nodules (8 to 500 nm) covalently fused into branched aciniform primary aggregates (50 to 1,000 nm) and reversible van der Waals agglomerates—allows independent engineering of specific surface area (BET NSA 7 to >1,100 m2/g), aggregate branching structure (OAN 35 to >330 mL/100 g), and surface oxygen chemistry (slurry pH 2.0 to 10.0, volatile content 0.2% to 15.0% w/w).

Supplied as dust-free pelleted beads (bulk pour density 320 to 520 g/L) or finely divided fluffy powder (bulk pour density 60 to 240 g/L) with a true skeletal density of 1.75 to 1.95 g/cm3 and thermal sublimation stability above 3,550 °C, Furnace Black and Thermal Black serve as the premier reinforcing fillers across automotive and OTR tires, EPDM weatherstripping, hydraulic hoses, conveyor belts, and elastomer seals (standardized under ASTM D1765 grades N110, N220, N234, N326, N330, N339, N550, N660, N772, and N990). In thermoplastics, coatings, printing inks, and electrochemical systems, specialty Pigment Black 7 and Acetylene Black grades deliver deep piano-black jetness, 50+ year UV-A/UV-B photostabilization in PE80/PE100 pressure pipes and geomembranes, FDA 21 CFR 178.3297 / EU 10/2011 compliant food-contact coloration, and permanent electron-tunneling percolation networks in ESD plastics, semiconductive HV XLPE power cable shields, and lithium-ion battery electrodes.

For technical grade selection, product availability, Technical Data Sheet (TDS), Safety Data Sheet (SDS), and batch Certificate of Analysis (COA) documentation, or to request a commercial quotation for Carbon Black (Furnace Black, Pigment Black 7, Thermal Black, or Acetylene Black) tailored to your formulation and packaging requirements, you can contact Ataman Kimya directly through the communication channels below. Our technical sales team will gladly assist you in matching the optimal ASTM rubber, masterbatch, coating, ink, or conductive Carbon Black specification to your production process.

Ataman Chemicals
Phone: +90 216 577 10 10
Email: info@atamankimya.com