Carbon black (also known as acetylene black, channel black, furnace black, lamp black or thermal black) is a material produced by the incomplete combustion of heavy petroleum products such as FCC tar, coal tar, ethylene cracking tar, and a small amount from vegetable oil. Carbon black is a form of amorphous carbon that has a high surface-area-to-volume ratio, although its surface-area-to-volume ratio is low compared to that of activated carbon. It is dissimilar to soot in its much higher surface-area-to-volume ratio and significantly lower (negligible and non-bioavailable) PAH (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon) content. However, carbon black is widely used as a model compound for diesel soot for diesel oxidation experiments. Carbon black is used as a pigment and reinforcement in rubber and plastic products.
The current International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) evaluation is that, "Carbon black is possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B)". Short-term exposure to high concentrations of carbon black dust may produce discomfort to the upper respiratory tract, through mechanical irritation.
Read more about Carbon Black: Common Uses, Reinforcing Carbon Blacks, Pigment, Surface Chemistry, Carcinogenicity Studies
Famous quotes containing the word black:
“A body would think that your heart was as black as your face. People thinks now that sweeps is black all through instead of black all over.”
—Robert N. Lee, and Rowland V. Lee. Tom Clink (Ernest Cossart)