Volatile Compounds Present in Carbon Blacks Produced by Thermal Plasmas

Carbon black nanopowders were produced using two thermal plasma processes based on DC, respectively ICP plasma torches. Although the produced particles were in the nanometer size range, the values obtained for the surface area of the particles using a Brunauer Emmett Teller technique were very small. This indicated the presence of contaminants in the experimental powders, as confirmed by Raman spectroscopy and thermogravimetric Analysis. A thermal treatment process was developed in order to extract these volatile compounds, which were then identified using a Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry method. The experimental powders were analyzed using scanning and transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy before and after the thermal treatment in order to determine the effect of the heat treatment on the powder structural properties.