Carbon black is a commonly used black pigment widely used in coatings, plastics, rubber and other industries. Carbon black is difficult to disperse in water and easily forms black matter similar to granules. At this time, it is necessary to use a dispersant to disperse the carbon black in the water. So, why can dispersants disperse carbon black in water?
We need to understand the properties of carbon black. Carbon black is made from high-temperature and high-pressure gasification of polymer carbon materials. It has high hygroscopicity, high hydrophobicity, low solubility and low dispersion. These properties make carbon black difficult to disperse in water.
How dispersants work. A dispersant is a substance that disperses powdery substances in liquids. It is usually hydrophilic and hydrophobic, and can form a thin film on the surface of carbon black, weakening the interaction between carbon blacks and preventing adhesion between carbon black particles. This allows carbon black to disperse in water.
Dispersant selection. There are many types of dispersants, such as surfactants, ionic surfactants, anionic surfactants, etc. Among them, surfactants are commonly used dispersants, such as sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium dodecyl sulfate, etc. These surfactants have strong hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity and can effectively disperse carbon black in water.
The reason why dispersants can disperse carbon black in water is that dispersants are hydrophilic and hydrophobic, and can form a thin film on the surface of carbon black, weakening the interaction between carbon blacks and preventing adhesion between carbon black particles. Choosing the appropriate dispersant can effectively disperse carbon black in water.