NEW STUDIES ON THE SURFACE PROPERTIES OF CARBON BLACKS

Abstract A series of carbon blacks of widely varying morphology and microstructure were analyzed for surface compositional properties employing SIMS, XPS/ESCA, and GC-MS. These studies were supported by bulk analyses for hydrogen and oxygen content. Surface reactivity was assessed by means of inverse gas chromatography, moisture adsorption, and oxidation in an oxygen plasma. To directly assess carbon-black-polymer interaction, the carbon blacks were evaluated in SBR and IIR compounds for stress-strain and dynamic properties as well as bound rubber. The major findings of these studies are: 1. The combined results of hydrogen content, SIMS, and pyrolysis-GC-MS suggest a complex hydrogen functionality at the carbon-black surface, which governs the level of interaction with elastomers. 2. SIMS analyses have shown that the hydrogen functionality at the carbon-black surface is preserved after an 1173 K heat treatment in an inert atmosphere. 3. Gas-solid chromatography results indicate that this technique may be...