Research progress of modified carbon black used in rubber properties improvement

Abstract

Rubber is widely used as a common elastomeric material in various fields. However, the poor physical properties of rubber without filler reinforcement could not satisfy the needs in the practical applications. Consequently, various fillers were developed and used to enhance the mechanical properties of rubber. Carbon black, the most common reinforcing agent, can reinforce rubber through the uniform distribution of carbon black particles. However, it is prone to agglomerate due to the interaction between the carbon black aggregate in the actual production. Therefore, the modification of carbon black is required to achieve the optimum distribution. To deal with these problems, several modification methods have been investigated. In this review, the existing modification methods were sorted into four different types: graft modification, surface coating modification, oxidation modification, and surface adsorption modification. Furthermore, a comprehensive evaluation of these methods and the prospects of carbon black material modification were presented.