Electroconductive carbon black

Last updated

Made up of primary carbon, carbon black is spherical in shape and arranged into aggregates and agglomerates. It differs from other carbon forms (diamond, graphite, coke) in its complex configuration, colloid dimensions and quasi-graphitic structure. Carbon black's purity and composition are practically free of inorganic pollutants and extractable organic substances. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

A distinction is made between these two terms:

Carbon black can be characterized as a substance with over 97% amorphous carbon content. It is used extensively in many areas of industrial chemistry. It is often used in the plastic and rubber manufacturing industries, where it improves electrical conductivity and electromagnetic or thermo-conductive characteristics of plastic materials and rubbers. By virtue of its pigmentation capabilities, it is also used for the production of special printing inks, paints and varnishes. Thanks to its advanced porous structure, it is also used as a catalyst carrier, and its notable sorption attributes are used for, in example, catching gaseous pollutants at waste incinerator plants. [3] [2] [1] [5]

Carbon black predominantly includes a conductive type of carbon, which combines an extremely high specific surface and extensively developed structure – microporosity. At the same time, it consists of primary carbon particles and boasts a high degree of aggregation. Carbon black's grouping facilitates the formation of a conductive structure in plastics, rubbers and other composites. These characteristics predetermine electroconductive carbon black's primary area of application, i.e. electrical conductivity modification of nearly all types of plastic materials by adding a relatively low volume of carbon black. Such modifications can be used for numerous purposes, from establishing antistatic properties to adjusting polymer conductivity. Another valuable property of electroconductive carbon black is its excellent ability to absorb UV radiation on the visible spectrum, i.e. as a UV stabilizer for plastic materials, pigment in printer inks, paints and varnishes, or for coloring plastics, rubbers and sealants. [3] [2] [1] [5]

Production

Carbon black begins as a byproduct of what is referred to as partial oxidation, a process during which crude oil residues, such as vacuum residues from crude oil distillation or residues from the thermic cracking process, split due to the effects of the mixture of oxygen and water steam under high temperatures around 1,300 °C. [3] [5] [4] [6]

Partial oxidation of various raw materials always creates a gaseous mixture containing CO, CO2, H2O, H2, CH4 and H2S and COS formed from sulfurous compounds. Carbon black is formed as an undesired byproduct. The amount of carbon black grows as the injection's molecular weight increases. Methane gasification produces approx. 0.02% mass, crude oil residue gasification approx. 1-3% mass. [3] [4] [5] [6]

During the respective process, carbon black is captured into water through the method of scrubbing, thus creating carbon black water. The generated carbon black water with 7–15 g/L of carbon black is further processed at the production facility into several types of carbonaceous substrates. The main production principle lies in isolating carbon from the water using granulation petrol, where intensive homogenization causes the carbon to transform from its aqueous to an organic phase, i.e. transformation of the water-carbon suspension to petrol-carbon suspension in the form of carbonaceous granules. The carbonaceous granules are subsequently processed into a finished product – carbonaceous substrate. The two mediums' proportionality primarily depends on carbon content and physical and chemical properties of the carbon black water and granulation petrol. [5] [4]

Types of electroconductive carbon black

Carbon black [4] BETOAN
conductive (cca)120100
superconductive (cca)250180
extraconductive (cca)800–1200300–400
ultraconductive1300–1400> 600


Carbon Black.png

Carbon Black 2.png

Physical and chemical characteristics of electroconductive carbon black

Structure

Carbon black is essentially formed out of primary carbon, but its structure is much less arranged than that of, for example, graphite. Carbon black exists in the form of discrete particles, however, during the production process its spherical particles, also called primary particles, cluster (aggregate) into chains or clusters. These aggregates then form the smallest carbon black units. They define what is known as the primary structure. Primary structure is characterized by the following: size of the primary particles, surface size, size and structure of the aggregates or chemical "composition" of the carbon black surface. These characteristics determine other carbon black features, such as adsorption properties, density, electrical conductivity, and absorption of UV radiation or visible light. [3] [2] [1] [5] [7]

Incorporated electroconductive carbon black in the polypropylene matrix Incorporated electroconductive carbon black in the PP matrix .jpg
Incorporated electroconductive carbon black in the polypropylene matrix
Electroconductive carbon black - Structure 1 ELECTROCONDUCTIVE CARBON BLACK - Structure.jpg
Electroconductive carbon black – Structure 1
Electroconductive carbon black - Structure 2 ELECTROCONDUCTIVE CARBON BLACK - Structure 2.jpg
Electroconductive carbon black – Structure 2

Surface

The most important characteristic of carbon black is the size of its primary particles and the related surface area. The size of the primary particles describes the size of individual spherical particles that form a primary structure. The size of individual particles is determined using an electron microscope. It has been ascertained that the smaller the particles, the greater the size of their surface. Carbon black particle size is between 10 and 100 nm, while the surface particle size is between 20 and 1,500 m2/g. Generally speaking, small carbon black particles with a high surface area are darker, have higher viscosity and lower wettability, are harder to disperse, retain greater conductivity and absorb UV radiation well. [1] [2] [3] [7] [8]

Electroconductive carbon black - Structure 3 Electroconductive carbon black - Structure 3.jpg
Electroconductive carbon black – Structure 3

Texture

Another significant characteristic of carbon black is its structure and the size of its aggregates. The size and complexity of the aggregate structure is determined by the volume of the carbon black spherical primary particles, which cluster together during the production process. The highly complex carbon black structure consists of branched chains with many secondarily created spaces in the aggregate. On the other hand, aggregate structure that is developed only a little represents smaller clusters of the spherical particles and thus also smaller spaces inside of the aggregate. The aggregate structure does not depend on the size of the particles. It has been established that particles of the same size can have aggregates with completely different structures. Generally speaking, carbon black that has a highly developed and complex structure is easier to disperse, has lower wettability, higher electric conductivity and higher viscosity. [3] [2] [1] [5]

Surface characteristics

Yet another noteworthy characteristic is carbon black's chemical surface composition. Chemisorbed complexes containing oxygen, such as carboxylic, quinonic, or phenolic groups, appear on carbon black surfaces. These groups, which contain oxygen, can significantly affect chemical reactivity, wettability, carbon black catalytic characteristics, electric conductivity, etc. [3] [2] [1]


Diagram of carbon black structure and texture creation.png

Picture: Diagram of carbon black structure and texture creation

Applications

Composite applications [9] [4] [7] [10] [11]

Electroconductive carbon black producers

Some of the world's main producers of electroconductive carbon black include UNIPETROL (Chezacarb [12] ), [13] CABOT Corporation (Vulcan), [14] DEGUSSA (Printex), AKZO-Nobel (Ketjenblack [15] ), TIMCAL (Ensaco [16] ), BIRLA CARBON (Conductex), [17] [18] and ORION ENGINEERED CARBONS (XPB). [19] [11]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carbon nanotube</span> Allotropes of carbon with a cylindrical nanostructure

A carbon nanotube (CNT) is a tube made of carbon with a diameter in the nanometre range (nanoscale). They are one of the allotropes of carbon. Two broad classes of carbon nanotubes are recognized:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Activated carbon</span> Form of carbon with an extremely high surface area

Activated carbon, also called activated charcoal, is a form of carbon commonly used to filter contaminants from water and air, among many other uses. It is processed (activated) to have small, low-volume pores that greatly increase the surface area available for adsorption or chemical reactions that can be thought of as a microscopic "sponge" structure. Activation is analogous to making popcorn from dried corn kernels: popcorn is light, fluffy, and its kernels have a high surface-area-to-volume ratio. Activated is sometimes replaced by active.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conductive polymer</span> Organic polymers that conduct electricity

Conductive polymers or, more precisely, intrinsically conducting polymers (ICPs) are organic polymers that conduct electricity. Such compounds may have metallic conductivity or can be semiconductors. The main advantage of conductive polymers is that they are easy to process, mainly by dispersion. Conductive polymers are generally not thermoplastics, i.e., they are not thermoformable. But, like insulating polymers, they are organic materials. They can offer high electrical conductivity but do not show similar mechanical properties to other commercially available polymers. The electrical properties can be fine-tuned using the methods of organic synthesis and by advanced dispersion techniques.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polyacetylene</span> Organic polymer made of the repeating unit [C2H2]

Polyacetylene usually refers to an organic polymer with the repeating unit [C2H2]n. The name refers to its conceptual construction from polymerization of acetylene to give a chain with repeating olefin groups. This compound is conceptually important, as the discovery of polyacetylene and its high conductivity upon doping helped to launch the field of organic conductive polymers. The high electrical conductivity discovered by Hideki Shirakawa, Alan Heeger, and Alan MacDiarmid for this polymer led to intense interest in the use of organic compounds in microelectronics. This discovery was recognized by the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2000. Early work in the field of polyacetylene research was aimed at using doped polymers as easily processable and lightweight "plastic metals". Despite the promise of this polymer in the field of conductive polymers, many of its properties such as instability to air and difficulty with processing have led to avoidance in commercial applications.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PEDOT:PSS</span> Polymer

Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) is a composite material where PEDOT provides electrical conductivity, and PSS acts as a counter-ion to balance the charge and improve the water solubility and processability of PEDOT. Polystyrene sulfonate is a sulfonated polystyrene. Part of the sulfonyl groups are deprotonated and carry a negative charge. The other component poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) is a conjugated polymer and carries positive charges and is based on polythiophene. Together the charged macromolecules form a macromolecular salt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carbon nanofiber</span> Structured carbon fibers

Carbon nanofibers (CNFs), vapor grown carbon fibers (VGCFs), or vapor grown carbon nanofibers (VGCNFs) are cylindrical nanostructures with graphene layers arranged as stacked cones, cups or plates. Carbon nanofibers with graphene layers wrapped into perfect cylinders are called carbon nanotubes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silicone rubber</span> Elastomer composed of silicone

Silicone rubber is an elastomer composed of silicone—itself a polymer—containing silicon together with carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Silicone rubbers are widely used in industry, and there are multiple formulations. Silicone rubbers are often one- or two-part polymers, and may contain fillers to improve properties or reduce cost. Silicone rubber is generally non-reactive, stable, and resistant to extreme environments and temperatures from −55 to 300 °C while still maintaining its useful properties. Due to these properties and its ease of manufacturing and shaping, silicone rubber can be found in a wide variety of products, including voltage line insulators; automotive applications; cooking, baking, and food storage products; apparel such as undergarments, sportswear, and footwear; electronics; medical devices and implants; and in home repair and hardware, in products such as silicone sealants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Radiation-absorbent material</span> Substances which absorb radio frequency energy

In materials science, radiation-absorbent material (RAM) is a material which has been specially designed and shaped to absorb incident RF radiation, as effectively as possible, from as many incident directions as possible. The more effective the RAM, the lower the resulting level of reflected RF radiation. Many measurements in electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) and antenna radiation patterns require that spurious signals arising from the test setup, including reflections, are negligible to avoid the risk of causing measurement errors and ambiguities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nanocomposite</span> Solid material with nano-scale structure

Nanocomposite is a multiphase solid material where one of the phases has one, two or three dimensions of less than 100 nanometers (nm) or structures having nano-scale repeat distances between the different phases that make up the material.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Potential applications of carbon nanotubes</span>

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are cylinders of one or more layers of graphene (lattice). Diameters of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) are typically 0.8 to 2 nm and 5 to 20 nm, respectively, although MWNT diameters can exceed 100 nm. CNT lengths range from less than 100 nm to 0.5 m.

Dry lubricants or solid lubricants are materials that, despite being in the solid phase, are able to reduce friction between two surfaces sliding against each other without the need for a liquid oil medium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solid</span> State of matter

Solid is one of the four fundamental states of matter along with liquid, gas, and plasma. The molecules in a solid are closely packed together and contain the least amount of kinetic energy. A solid is characterized by structural rigidity and resistance to a force applied to the surface. Unlike a liquid, a solid object does not flow to take on the shape of its container, nor does it expand to fill the entire available volume like a gas. The atoms in a solid are bound to each other, either in a regular geometric lattice, or irregularly. Solids cannot be compressed with little pressure whereas gases can be compressed with little pressure because the molecules in a gas are loosely packed.

Exfoliated graphite nano-platelets (xGnP) are new types of nanoparticles made from graphite. These nanoparticles consist of small stacks of graphene that are 1 to 15 nanometers thick, with diameters ranging from sub-micrometre to 100 micrometres. The X-ray diffractogram of this material would resemble that of graphite, in that the 002 peak would still appear at ~26o 2 theta. However, the peak would appear considerably smaller and broader. These features indicate that the interplanar distance in exfoliated graphite is similar to that of the parent graphite, but the stack size is small. Since xGnP is composed of the same material as carbon nanotubes, it shares many of the electrochemical characteristics, although not the tensile strength. The platelet shape, however, offers xGnP edges that are easier to modify chemically for enhanced dispersion in polymers.

Microspherulites are microscopic spherical particles with diameter less than two mm, usually in the 100 micrometre range, mainly consisting of mineral material. Only bodies created by natural physico-chemical processes, with no contribution of either biological or human activity, are considered to be microspherulites. Generally speaking, the common feature (sphericity) indicates that each sphere represents an internal equilibrium of forces within a fluid medium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pseudocapacitor</span>

Pseudocapacitors store electrical energy faradaically by electron charge transfer between electrode and electrolyte. This is accomplished through electrosorption, reduction-oxidation reactions, and intercalation processes, termed pseudocapacitance.

Ultrapure water (UPW), high-purity water or highly purified water (HPW) is water that has been purified to uncommonly stringent specifications. Ultrapure water is a term commonly used in manufacturing to emphasize the fact that the water is treated to the highest levels of purity for all contaminant types, including: organic and inorganic compounds; dissolved and particulate matter; volatile and non-volatile; reactive, and inert; hydrophilic and hydrophobic; and dissolved gases.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chemiresistor</span> Material with changing electrical resistance according to its surroundings

A chemiresistor is a material that changes its electrical resistance in response to changes in the nearby chemical environment. Chemiresistors are a class of chemical sensors that rely on the direct chemical interaction between the sensing material and the analyte. The sensing material and the analyte can interact by covalent bonding, hydrogen bonding, or molecular recognition. Several different materials have chemiresistor properties: semiconducting metal oxides, some conductive polymers, and nanomaterials like graphene, carbon nanotubes and nanoparticles. Typically these materials are used as partially selective sensors in devices like electronic tongues or electronic noses.

Nanocomposite hydrogels are nanomaterial-filled, hydrated, polymeric networks that exhibit higher elasticity and strength relative to traditionally made hydrogels. A range of natural and synthetic polymers are used to design nanocomposite network. By controlling the interactions between nanoparticles and polymer chains, a range of physical, chemical, and biological properties can be engineered. The combination of organic (polymer) and inorganic (clay) structure gives these hydrogels improved physical, chemical, electrical, biological, and swelling/de-swelling properties that cannot be achieved by either material alone. Inspired by flexible biological tissues, researchers incorporate carbon-based, polymeric, ceramic and/or metallic nanomaterials to give these hydrogels superior characteristics like optical properties and stimulus-sensitivity which can potentially be very helpful to medical and mechanical fields.

A conductive elastomer is a form of elastomer, often natural rubber or other rubber substitute, that is manufactured to conduct electricity. This is commonly accomplished by distributing carbon or other conductive particles throughout the raw material prior to setting it. Carbon black and silica are common additives to induce conductivity in elastomers. Silica has been studied more so than other additives due to its low cost however, its conductance is also lower. These additives can not only enable conductance but can increase the mechanical properties of the elastomer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polymer soil stabilization</span> Engineering technique

Polymer soil stabilization refers to the addition of polymers to improve the physical properties of soils, most often for geotechnical engineering, construction, or agricultural projects. Even at very small concentrations within soils, various polymers have been shown to increase water retention and reduce erosion, increase soil shear strength, and support soil structure. A wide range of polymers have been used to address problems ranging from the prevention of desertification to the reinforcement of roadbeds.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Pantea, Dana; Darmstadt, Hans; Kaliaguine, Serge; Roy, Christian (2003-07-15). "Electrical conductivity of conductive carbon blacks: influence of surface chemistry and topology". Applied Surface Science. 217 (1): 181–193. Bibcode:2003ApSS..217..181P. doi:10.1016/S0169-4332(03)00550-6. ISSN   0169-4332.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Probst, Nicolaus; Grivei, Eusebiu (2002-02-01). "Structure and electrical properties of carbon black". Carbon. Third International Conference on Carbon Black. 40 (2): 201–205. Bibcode:2002Carbo..40..201P. doi:10.1016/S0008-6223(01)00174-9. ISSN   0008-6223.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Bourrat, Xavier (1993-01-01). "Electrically conductive grades of carbon black: Structure and properties". Carbon. 31 (2): 287–302. Bibcode:1993Carbo..31..287B. doi:10.1016/0008-6223(93)90034-8. ISSN   0008-6223.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Kliment, Josef (2008). Carbon Black. Zlín: Czech Association of Industrial Chemistry. ISBN   978-80-02-02004-2.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Herink, Tomáš; Raška, Stanislav; Nečesaný, František; Kubal, Petr (2008). "Application possibilities of the Chezacarb soot produced at Unipetrol RPA". Chemical Sheets: Chemical Industry: 102.
  6. 1 2 "petroleum.cz, Výroba vodíku parciální oxidací". www.petroleum.cz. Archived from the original on 2019-03-11. Retrieved 2019-02-11.
  7. 1 2 3 Wiley, John (1997). "Agglomeration and electrical percolation behavior of carbon black dispersed in epoxy resin". Journal of Applied Science: Applied Polymer Science.
  8. ↑ Tchoudakov, R.; Breuer, O.; Narkis, M.; Siegmann, A. (1996). "Conductive polymer blends with low carbon black loading: Polypropylene/polyamide". Polymer Engineering Journal. 36 (10): 1336–1346. doi:10.1002/pen.10528. ISSN   0032-3888.
  9. ↑ Gubbels, F.; Jerome, R.; Teyssie, Ph; Vanlathem, E.; Deltour, R.; Calderone, A.; Parente, V.; Bredas, J. L. (2002-05-01). "Selective Localization of Carbon Black in Immiscible Polymer Blends: A Useful Tool To Design Electrical Conductive Composites". Macromolecules. 27 (7): 1972–1974. Bibcode:1994MaMol..27.1972G. doi:10.1021/ma00085a049.
  10. ↑ Gubbels, R.; and collective (1994). "Selective Localization of Carbon Black in Immiscible Polymer Blends: A Useful Tool To Design Electrical Conductive Composites". Macromolecules. 27 (7): 1972–1974. Bibcode:1994MaMol..27.1972G. doi:10.1021/ma00085a049.
  11. 1 2 "World Market for Conductive Carbon Blacks". Notch Consulting Group. 2012.
  12. ↑ "Home". chezacarbcarbonblack.com.
  13. ↑ "ORLEN Unipetrol RPA". www.unipetrolrpa.cz.
  14. ↑ "Conductive & ESD Protection". Cabot Corporation.
  15. ↑ "Polymer additives". Archived from the original on 2019-02-09.
  16. ↑ "Brands | Imerys". Archived from the original on 2014-08-02.
  17. ↑ "Specialty Blacks Overview".
  18. ↑ "Carbon Black Manufacturer & Suppliers". Birla Carbon.
  19. ↑ "Specialty carbon black is essential to everyday products". Archived from the original on 2019-02-09.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.