Carbon Black

A type of graphite, similar to soot but with higher surface area to volume ratio. It is formed from the incomplete combustion of heavy petroleum such as FCC tar, coal tar, and small amount from vegetable oil. Uses: Rubber, plastic, coatings, inks (including inkjet), toners and chromatography columns. 70% of CB is used as a pigment and reinforcing phase in automobile tires (it helps conduct heat away from the tread and belt area of the tire, reducing thermal damage. Competitor in reinforcing ability is silia-based fillers. Silia creates better trade-off for fuel efficiency and wet handling due to a lower rolling loss compared to carbon filled tires. CB is also employed in printer toner and inks. 20% goes into belts, hoses, and other rubber goods. The balance is used in inks. (Wikipedia.com 7/30/08) CAS# (1333-86-4)