Carbon Black At-line Characterization Using a Portable Raman Spectrometer
Abstract
Carbon black is a form of amorphous carbon. It is mainly used as reinforcement filler in automobile tires and other rubber products, but is also used in pigments, paint, and carbon paper. Raman spectroscopy is a very effective analytical technology to characterize carbon materials. The Raman bands associated with different carbon bonds reveal details of the structure on the molecular level. Most of the research using Raman technology has been applied to carbon nanotubes and graphene. The fast characterization of carbon black material using Raman spectroscopy is discussed here to demonstrate that Raman technology is well suited for carbon black material characterization. A portable Raman spectrometer is a very effective analytical tool for carbon black material manufacturing at-line process control and monitoring.
Introduction
Due to the highly selective, unique chemical signatures contained in Raman spectra and the fact that the intensity of Raman peaks is proportional to the related compound concentration, Raman technology has been used as a molecular fingerprint to analyze molecular structures, to identify specific molecules, and to predict the chemical concentrations in mixtures. With Raman technology advancing into the development of portable Raman systems with lab grade performance, and also due to the non-destructive nature and the fact that no sample preparation is required for testing, Raman spectroscopy has become a go-to method of analysis in practical, real world applications. For example, in raw material verification, quick
identification of unknown chemical compounds, mixture identification and quantitative analysis in mixtures, Raman has been widely adopted by pharmaceuticals, chemical companies, and safety and security agents throughout the world. In addition, the peak intensity ratio between two Raman signature peaks can also provide useful information on material crystallinity, phase transition, and material structure disorder.
In this article, portable Raman for at-line characterization of carbon black is explored. Because of the distinctive information contained in the peak ratio between the D-band and G-band of sp2 carbon material, Raman spectroscopic analysis can be an effective test to characterize carbon black material. The portable Raman spectrometer used in this study showcases the versatility of Raman spectroscopy and the potential impact that the new generation portable Raman spectrometers will have to various industries.