Surface Activity and Chemistry of Thermal Carbon Blacks

Abstract

Abstract The surface energy of thermal and furnace carbon blacks was determined by inverse gas chromatography (IGC) at infinite dilution. In general, the specific surface energy decreases with decreasing carbon black specific surface area. However, there is also an influence of the concentration of impurities during the carbon black production. The surface energy decreases with decreasing concentration of impurities. The carbon black surface and bulk chemistry was studied by electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA), secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) and Raman spectroscopy. Scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) was used for characterization of the surface morphology. Thermal grades of carbon black produced from high purity natural gas feedstock do not contain fewer surface functional groups than the other grades. No correlation between the concentration and nature of the oxygen and sulphur surface groups and the carbon black surface energy was found. Instead, a correlation between the surface energy and the polyaromatic character of the carbon black surface exists. Both increased in the order: thermal blacks from high purity natural gas feedstock < thermal black from oil feedstock < furnace blacks. The increase of the surface energy might be related to the formation of active sites which are formed upon removal of non-carbon elements during the carbon black formation. There was no principal difference in the surface morphology of thermal blacks from high purity gas feedstock and other blacks.