Modifications produced by electrochemical treatments on carbon blacks: Microstructures and mechanical interfacial properties

In this work, the carbon blacks were electrochemically treated in an aqueous potassium hydroxide solution as a function of the electric current. As a result, this treatment led to a modification of the carbon surface properties, i.e., pH, acid-base values, anion exchanges, and microstructures. Especially, the electrochemical surface treatments appeared to be an increase of the basic surface functional groups and anion exchange properties with a consequence of a decrease in the interlayer spacing, d₀₀₂ and an increase in the crystalline size along the c-axis, L_c, resulting in an improvement in the hardness and tearing energy of the carbon black-rubber composites. Also, it was found that a moderate basic surface treatment of carbon blacks seems a promising method of assessing the optimum improvement of physical or mechanical interfacial properties of composites.