Improvements in Carcass Carbon Blacks to Enhance Compound Performance

Although the carbon black industry is relatively mature, it continues to pursue innovations for improved performance in rubber compounds. A recent innovation was the adsorption of polysulfide compounds onto the surface of tread blacks. This development led to a decrease in filler-filler interactions and an increase in polymer-filler interactions. The treatment results in tread compounds which provide lower hysteresis at equivalent or better abrasion, especially in natural rubber.  In this paper, we extend the treatment to carcass grades of carbon black and show how similar decreases in hysteresis can be obtained, thus providing the possibility for rubber compounds, whether for a tire sidewall or conveyor belt, to generate less internal heat build-up.