Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 February 2011
Commercially available carbon black contains oxygen complexes on its surface that affect the surface properties of the carbon. Water adsorption on the surface of carbon black is influenced by the amount and type of oxygen complexes present. When carbon black is heated in vacuum at sufficiently high temperatures, removal of the oxygen complexes occurs and the surface of the carbon particles is modified. The amount of water adsorbed by the carbon is dependent on the vacuum heat treatment temperature. As the heat treatment temperature increases, water adsorption on the carbon decreases.
Commercially available electrically conductive carbon black adsorbs from 1.25% to 2.50% water when exposed to 50% relative humidity for 24 hours at 25°C. This variation in water adsorption is due to a difference in the amount of oxygen complexes on the surface of the carbon. The carbon with more oxygen complexes adsorbs more water. However, when this carbon black is heat treated at 1200°C for 4 hours in a vacuum of 1 × 10−5 torr or better, the water adsorbed by the carbon is 0.4% when exposed to 50% relative humidity. Data showing the dependence of water adsorption on vacuum thermal processing are presented and discussed.