THE THERMAL PROCESS

In this process, the feed (natural gas) is pyrolyzed in preheated furnaces lined with a checker work of hot bricks. The pyrolysis reaction produces carbon, which collects on the bricks. The cooled bricks are then reheated after carbon black is collected.

Figure 1.1. Carbon black (oil black) by furnace process of Ashland Chemical Co.

The average particle diameter from this process is large and ranges between 1800 Å for the fine thermal and 5000 Å for medium thermal black.