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.

The tribological properties of acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR) filled with two kinds of carbon black filler were examined. Different types of Semi-Reinforcing Furnace (SRF), and High Abrasion Furnace (HAF) blacks were used as filler material to test the influence of carbon black particle size on the friction and wear of NBR. Results from tribological tests using a ball on disk method showed that the smaller HAF particles were more effective for reducing the wear of NBR during frictional sliding. The hardness, elastic modulus at 100% elongation, and elongation at break were measured to examine the correlation between the effects of carbon black on the mechanical and tribological properties of the NBR specimens. The wear tracks of the NBR specimens were observed with scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The wear tracks for NBR with different ratios of SRF and HAF showed clearly different abrasion patterns. Mechanisms for the friction and wear behavior of NBR with different sizes of carbon black filler were proposed using evidence from wear track observation, as well as the mechanical and tribological test results.

Properties of carbon blacks and carbon black/SBR rubber composites filled by surface modified carbon blacks were examined. Although the specific surface area of carbon blacks increased after the surface modifications with heat, acid, and base, there were no obvious changes in resistivity. The composites filled by heat treated carbon blacks showed a higher tensile strength and elongation than those filled by raw blacks. The acid and base treated carbon blacks filled composites also showed higher tensile strength but similar elongation values with those filled by raw blacks. With increasing loading ratio, both tensile strength and elongation increased, and appeared a maximum value at 30-40 phr. Modulus at 300% strain remained increasing with further loading of carbon blacks. At the same loading, the heat treated black filled composites showed similar modulus values with composites filled by raw blacks but for base and acid treated black filled composites much higher values were obtained. After the surface modification, the functional groups which played an important role in reinforcement action were changed.

Vehicle drivers are subject to be exposed to high concentrations of airborne pollutants emitted from vehicles on roads. To investigate the indoor air quality of vehicles on roads, black carbon (BC) was measured inside a passenger car commuting between the residential area in southern Seoul and the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) in northern Seoul using a portable aethalometer. When the vehicular windows were closed, the ventilation mode was set to fresh air mode (or circulation mode) for a total of thirteen runs made during May 2005. When the windows were open, the analysis was made with the system turned off (for twelve runs in October 2005). The BC concentration depended on such parameters as spatial location, time of day, and ventilation mode. The average BC concentration measured on non-express ways was higher than those measured on express ways, inside KIST, and nearby the residential area for most runs. On circulation mode, the average BC concentration was 5.9±1.7 ㎍/㎥ in the afternoon or evening, which was similar to a 24-hr average BC concentration for ambient air at 200 m apart from a road in Seoul. In the case of fresh air mode, the average BC concentrations measured in the morning rush hour, in the afternoon or evening, and after midnight were 22.8±3.4, 15.9±7.7, 3.7 ㎍/㎥, respectively. The average BC concentrations measured with the vehicular window open were 31.9±9.2, 19.4±5.9 ㎍/㎥, respectively in the morning rush hour and in the afternoon or evening. These measured values were higher than those measured with the windows closed. The average BC concentrations inside a passenger car with a fresh mode operation or open-window driving were significantly higher than a 24-hr average BC concentration measured at 200 m apart from a road in Seoul.

Direct decomposition of methane over three types of carbon black (N330-p, N330-f, and HI-900L) was carried out in a fluidized bed quartz reactor. Properties of carbon black before and after reaction were measured and found to be related with surface structure and weight gain. For N330-p and N330-f, some carbon deposit on the surface was considered to be the reason for the increase of BET surface area and pore volume with weight gain. Carbon deposits on the surface and the conglutination of some aggregates may explain the slight increase of particle size. Properties of HI-900L changed much more significantly with weight gain. It is supposed that the increase of aggregate size of HI-900L were due to some unknown oily components. The corresponding agglomeration might be the reason for the decrease of BET surface area with weight gain, as compared with the increase of that for the case of N330 black.

Vacuum carbonization of nanometer tungsten powder was investigated in a simple designed apparatus. An X-Y recorder was used to plot differential thermal analysis (DTA) curves to determine starting temperature of carbonization of four samples with different specific surface area. The product was detected by X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The results show that finer tungsten powder has lower starting temperature of carbonization. Tungsten powder, which BET surface area is , is completely carbonized to tungsten carbide at , although the starting temperature is . Particle grows sharply before carbonization.

Electrical properties of carbon filler/PVdF [poly(vinylidene fluoride)] composite were investigated as a funtion of carbon filler/PVdF ratio in the range of 0.2~0.5. Three kinds of comercialzied conductive carbon blacks such as Hiblack 41Y, KE300J, and KE600J, and carbon nanofibers prepared by the catalytic chemical vapor deposition of C2H4 over Ni-Cu catalysts were used as the carbon fillers. The electrical conductivity of carbon filler/PVdF composites were in the range of 0.65 to 13.5 S/cm depending the fillers' electrical conductivity ranging from 5.6 to 23.1 S/cm. Among the carbon fillers used, the KE600J carbon black showed the highest conductivity both in the composite and filler itself because of its high degree of graphitization due to the high-temperature thermal treatment and its high surface area due to the activation treatment.

The electrochemical behavior of the LiCoO2 electrode, containing carbon black as a conductor, depends upon the nature and characteristics of carbon black. In this study, six different kinds of carbon blacks were employed to investigate the relationship between the properties of carbon blacks and electrochemical characteristics of the electrode. The larger amount of surface oxygen functional groups brought the lower electrical conductivity for the carbon blacks. The electrical conductivity of carbon blacks was closely related to the impurities such as ash and volatile content. The rate capability and cyclability of the electrode were improved with the higher conductivity of carbon blacks used. So, it can be concluded that high conductive carbon black plays an important role as a conductor for high rate of charge-discharge capability and initial efficiency.

Modification of C/C composite bipolar plate for improving electrical conductivity was carried out by addition of electroconductive carbon black (EC-CB). Carbon black was carefully mixed to methanol-containing phenolic resin, impregnated into 2D-carbon fabrics, hot pressed and then carbonized to obtain composite plate. Inclusion of electro-conductive carbon black enhanced the electrical conductivity of the C/C composites by increasing the conduction path. Addition of 10 vol% carbon black increased the electrical conductivity from 5.5/Ωcm to 32/Ωcm and reduced the crack formation by filling effect, resulting in the increase of flexural properties of composite plate. However, at carbon black content over 10 vol%, flexural properties decreased by delaminating role of excess carbon black at the interface in C/C composites.

In this study, the effects of carbon black (CB) content and anodic oxidation treatment with AgNO3 on positive temperature coefficient (PTC) behavior of CB/HDPE nanocomposites were investigated. Also, the addition of elastomer as a toughing agent was studied. The 20~50 wt% of CB, 0~5 wtt% of elastomer, and 1 wt% of AgNO3-filled HDPE nanocomposites were prepared using the internal mixer in 60 rpm at 160˚C and the compression-molded at 180˚C for 10 min. As a result, the room temperature resistivity and PTC intensity of the composites were dependent, to a large extent, on the content of CB, addition of elastomer, and surface chemical properties that were controlled in the relative arrangements of the carbon black aggregates in a polymeric matrix. Moreover, the composites with relatively low room temperature resistivity and suitable PTC intensity could be achieved by treatment of AgNO3. Consequently, it was noted that PTC effect was due to the deagglomeration or the breakage of the conductive networks caused by thermal expansion or crystalline melting of the polymeric matrix.

The effect of electrochemical surface treatments in KOH chemical solution on microstructures of carbon blacks was investigated in terms of surface functional values and XRD measurements. And their mechanical interfacial properties of the carbon blacks/rubber composites were studied by the composite tearing energy (GIIIC). It was found that the development of basic-surface functional groups lead to the significant physical changes of carbon blacks, such as, decrease of the interlayer spacing (d002), increase of the crystalline size along c-axis (Lc), and increase of degree of crystalline (χc). This treatment is possibly suitable for carbon blacks to be incorporated in a hydrocarbon rubber matrix, resulting in improving the hardness and tearing energy of the resulting composites.

The effect of surface free energy on the positive temperature coefficient (PTC) of carbon black/thermoplastic resin composites was investigated. The thermoplastic resins such as EVA, LDPE, LLDPE and HDPE were used with the addition of 30 wt.% of the carbon black. The surface free energy of the composites was studied in the context of two-liquid contact angle measurements, i.e., deionized water and diiodomethane. It was observed that the resistivity on PTC composites Was greatly increased near the crystalline melting temperature, due to the thermal expansion of polymeric matrix. From the experimental results, it was proposed that the decrease of surface free energy induced by interactions between carbon black surfaces and polymer chains is an important factor to the fabrication of a PTC composite made of carbon black and polymeric matrix.