Formation the Properties of Carbon Black Particles by Gas-Phase Thermochemical Modification

Abstract

Formation the structural and functional properties of carbon black (CB) during the synthesis stage or through post-treatment is an important practical problem that will lead to the development of special types of this material, and those with superior electrical conductivity properties are of primary importance. This work is a continuation of our previous research and concerns the structure–property relationships that arise as a result of applying basic process techniques. Done and studied the effects of gas-phase thermochemical modification (thermal oxidation and thermal modification at temperature up to 3000°C) and its technological parameters on the characteristics of microstructure, texture, and surface chemistry of CB particles and the relationships between these parameters and electrical physical properties of CB powders. We study the effect that the combined treatment—thermal treatment at 3000°C followed by gas-steam activation at 900°C—has on CB powders. For the prepared CB powders, we use an array of different characterization techniques to establish the relationship between the structure and microstructure, on the hand, and the electrical conductivity, on the other hand: X-ray diffraction analysis, Raman spectroscopy, electron paramagnetic resonance, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and low-temperature nitrogen adsorption. The bulk electrical resistance is measured on samples prepared by compression of CB nanopowders under a pressure as high as 200 atm. We carry out a comprehensive characterization of the particle structure for different types of CB and compare them to commercial conducting types of CB of both domestic and foreign origin. The observed effects are interpreted in terms of ideal crystalline carbon systems (i.e., graphenes), which have been in spotlight of both fundamental and applied research in the past years.