Carbon black is an important industrial material that is widely used in rubber, plastics, inks, coatings, and other fields. The naming rules and the characteristics of carbon black brand are crucial for understanding its performance and applications. This article will discuss the naming rules of carbon black in detail, analyze the characteristics of carbon black from different brands, and explore its performance in various applications.
I. Definition and basic concepts of carbon black
Carbon black is a black micro-powdered substance generated by the incomplete combustion or pyrolysis of hydrocarbons under controlled conditions. The main component is carbon, which contains a small amount of impurities such as oxygen, hydrogen, and sulfur. Carbon black has a high surface area and good conductivity, making it an important filler and pigment material.
The main application areas of carbon black include rubber reinforcement materials, plastic colorants, conductive materials, antistatic agents, and pigments. The characteristics of carbon black, such as particle size, structure, surface area, conductivity, and surface chemical properties, directly affect its effectiveness in different applications.
II. Naming rules of carbon black
The naming of carbon black is usually based on its production process, particle size, structure, and surface area. These naming rules help us quickly understand the main physical and chemical properties of a particular type of carbon black.
1. Production process of carbon black
The production processes for carbon black are mainly divided into furnace black, channel black, thermal cracking carbon black, and acetylene black. Different production methods will affect the particle size, structure, and surface area of carbon black.
Furnace black: This is the most widely used production process and accounts for the vast majority of global carbon black production. Furnace black is made by burning liquid or gaseous hydrocarbons in a high-temperature furnace. It is characterized by controllable particle size and a variety of product types. The name of furnace black usually starts with “N,” followed by three digits, such as N220, N330, etc.
Channel black: This process primarily generates carbon black on the surface of the burner through gaseous hydrocarbons. Channel black has a very small particle size and high structural characteristics. It is mainly used in high-end inks and coatings. Its name usually starts with “C.”
Thermal cracking carbon black: This is produced by the thermal decomposition reaction of alkanes under oxygen-free conditions. The carbon black produced by this method has a larger particle size and lower structure, making it suitable for fillers in conductive rubber and plastics.
Acetylene black: This is generated by the cracking of acetylene gas at high temperatures. It has extremely high purity, conductivity, and small particle size, often being used in highly conductive materials such as batteries and electrodes.
2. Particle size and structure of carbon black
The particle size and structure of carbon black are important parameters that determine its physical properties. Particle size is usually expressed in nanometers, while structure refers to the degree of aggregation of carbon black particles, typically characterized by the DBP (Dibutyl Phthalate) absorption value. The higher the value, the more complex the structure.
Particle size: The smaller the particle size of carbon black, the larger the specific surface area and the better the reinforcement effect, although it may also increase processing difficulty. For example, the particle size of N110 is less than 20 nanometers, while that of N330 is between 30-60 nanometers.
Structure: The structure of carbon black directly affects the physical and mechanical properties of the material, such as strength and wear resistance. High-structure carbon black (such as N220) usually has a significant reinforcing effect but requires higher specifications for mixing equipment during processing.
3. Surface area of carbon black
The specific surface area of carbon black refers to the total surface area of carbon black per unit mass, which is usually measured by the BET method and expressed in m²/g. The size of the surface area directly affects the reinforcing performance and coloring ability of carbon black. Generally speaking, the larger the specific surface area of carbon black, the smaller the particle size, resulting in a better reinforcing effect and stronger coloring ability.
III. Main grades of carbon black and their characteristics
According to the naming rules mentioned above, different grades of carbon black exhibit significant differences in structure, particle size, surface area, and more. The following is a detailed analysis of the characteristics of some major carbon black grades.
1. N100 series carbon black
The N100 series includes N110, N115, N121, etc. This type of carbon black has an extremely high surface area and structure, with a very fine particle size, usually less than 20 nanometers. These characteristics make the N100 series particularly effective in reinforcing rubber, especially in applications that require high wear resistance and tear resistance.
N110: N110 is the representative grade of this series, with the smallest particle size and the highest reinforcement performance. It is primarily used for tread rubber in high-performance tires, industrial rubber products, and more, significantly improving the tear resistance and wear resistance of the material. However, due to its high structure, there may be certain dispersion difficulties during processing, and the requirements for mixing equipment are relatively high.
2. N200 Series Carbon Black
The N200 series carbon black includes N220, N231, N234, etc. These grades have slightly larger particle sizes than the N100 series but still maintain a high structure, making them suitable for applications that require high reinforcement and easy processing.
N220: N220 is a more common grade in the N200 series, offering a better overall performance balance. Its structure and reinforcement effect are superior to those of the N300 series, and it is typically used in tire treads, industrial rubber products, conveyor belts, and other applications requiring high wear resistance. N220 also has relatively good processing performance while maintaining excellent wear resistance.
N234: N234 has a higher surface area than N220, providing a stronger reinforcement effect, but with relatively poor processing performance. It is suitable for applications that demand extremely high wear resistance, such as racing tires.
3. N300 Series Carbon Black
The N300 series carbon black includes N330, N339, N351, etc., and is one of the most widely used carbon black series. These grades have medium surface areas and structures, offering good processing performance and reinforcement effects, and are commonly used in general tires and various industrial rubber products.
N330: N330 is the most typical general carbon black, featuring moderate particle size and structure, making it suitable for most rubber products. Its application range is broad, including tire treads, sidewalls, hoses, seals, and more.
N339: N339 has a higher structure and surface area, resulting in stronger reinforcement capability compared to N330, but the processing difficulty increases accordingly. It is suitable for rubber products with higher performance requirements, such as engineering tires and heavy-duty tires.
4. N500 Series Carbon Black
The N500 series carbon black includes grades such as N550 and N560, which have lower surface areas and structures. They provide good processing performance and certain reinforcement effects, making them suitable for products that need enhanced strength but do not require high wear resistance.
N550: N550 is the representative grade of this series, known for its good processing performance and elastic recovery ability. It is widely used in rubber products such as tire sidewalls, hoses, and cable sheaths. Its low surface area and structure contribute to low hysteresis loss and excellent aging resistance in applications.
5. N600 Series Carbon Black
The N600 series carbon black, including grades such as N660 and N683, is characterized by large particle sizes and low structure. This type of carbon black is typically used in applications that require good processing performance, such as inner tubes and shock absorber rubber.
N660: N660 is a typical grade in the N600 series, offering good processing performance and elastic recovery ability. It is suitable for rubber products requiring low hysteresis loss, such as tire inner liners and automotive interior materials.
6. N700 Series Carbon Black
The N700 series carbon black, including grades such as N772 and N774, has the lowest structure and surface area. It is suitable for applications with low wear resistance requirements but good elasticity and fatigue resistance.
N772: N772 features a low specific surface area and structure, making it primarily used in applications such as tire inner liners and automotive interiors that require low wear resistance but high elasticity. Its low surface area and structure contribute to good fatigue resistance.
7. N990 Carbon Black
N990 carbon black has a larger particle size, typically between 250-350 nanometers. This results in a lower specific surface area (about 9-11 m²/g) compared to most furnace carbon blacks.It leads to a lower reinforcement effect. N990 carbon black has a very low structure, providing a strong filling capacity in rubber but limited reinforcing effect. So it is more suitable for applications requiring high elasticity and low hysteresis loss.
Due to its unique structure, N990 carbon black offers good heat resistance and aging resistance in rubber. Its low structure helps prevent deformation of rubber products at high temperatures and provides good ozone resistance.
Unlike high-structure carbon blacks, N990 carbon black has extremely low conductivity. It’s very effective in applications that require insulation properties. It is also an ideal choice for certain cables, seals, and other rubber products requiring electrical insulation.
8. Pigment Black
Pigment Black is a type of carbon black specifically used for coloring. It has extremely high tinting power and light stability, with a particle size usually below 10 nanometers. Pigment Black is widely used in products that require deep black coloring, such as inks, coatings, and plastics.
Features: The main characteristics of Pigment Black include its extremely fine particle size and high purity. It enables it to provide a high-intensity black coloring effect, along with good light stability and weather resistance. Depending on different application requirements, Pigment Black can also adjust its surface area and structure. In this case it achieves varying tinting strengths and dispersion performance.
Application: Pigment Black is widely used in printing inks, plastic products, coatings, building materials, and other fields. Due to its strong tinting power, a small amount of Pigment Black can achieve an effective coloring effect. This makes it common in masterbatch and ink manufacturing.
As an important industrial material, the naming rules and brand characteristics of carbon black provide essential references for understanding and application. The differences in particle size, structure, surface area, and other properties across different carbon black brands determine their performance. For example, in rubber, plastics, coatings, conductive materials, and other fields. By properly selecting and using carbon black, the properties of materials can be optimized to meet specific application needs. These properties play an indispensable role in modern industrial production and serve as a crucial basis for designing high-performance materials.
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