Carbon blacks could be used as the filler for the electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding. The poly vinyl alcohol (PVA) and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) were used as the matrix for the carbon black fillers. Porous carbon blacks were prepared by CO2 activation. The activation was performed by treating the carbon blacks in CO2 to different degrees of burnoff. During the activation, the enlargement of pore diameters, and development of microporous and mesoporous structures were introduced in the carbon blacks, resulting in an increase of extremely large specific surface areas. The porosity of carbon blacks was an increasing function of the degree of burn-off. The surface area increased from 80 m2/g to 1142 m2/g and the total pore volume increased from 0.14073 cc·g-1 to 0.9343 cc·g-1. Also, the C=O functional group characterized by aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids and esters was enhanced during the activation process. The EMI shielding effectiveness (SE) of raw N330 carbon blacks filled with PVA was about 1 dB and those of the activated carbon blacks increased to the values between 6 and 9 dB. The EMI SE of raw N330 carbon blacks filled with PVDF was about 7 dB and the EMI SE increased to the range from 11 to 15 dB by the activation.

Rubber reinforcing carbon black N330 was treated by physical activation under CO2 to different degrees of burn-off. The mechanical properties indicating the reinforcement of SBR (Styrene-Butadiene Rubber) vulcanizates filled by activated carbon blacks, such as tensile strength, modulus at 300% strain and elongation at break were determined. During CO2 activation of fresh carbon blacks, the development of microporous structure caused an increase of extremely large specific surface area and the porosity turned out to be an increasing function of the degree of burn-off. The tensile strength and modulus at 300% of activated carbon blacks filled rubber composites were improved at lower loading ratios of 20 and 30 phr, but decreased drastically after 30 phr, which is considered that it might be difficult to get a fully dispersed rubber mixture at higher loading ratios for fillers having very large specific surface areas. However, the Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness of SBR rubber composites having activated carbon black at 74% yield were improved at a large extent when compared to those having raw carbon black and increased significantly as a function of increasing loading ratio.