Effects of Carbon Black On PE Pipe Performance

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To understand "carbon black", we first need to understand an important performance indicator of plastic pipes - weather resistance.

Weather resistance refers to the ability of materials to resist aging, deterioration and performance degradation in the natural environment (such as sunlight, temperature, humidity, rain, wind and other natural factors).

Weather resistance is an important indicator for evaluating materials in outdoor application scenarios, especially for building materials, coatings, plastic products, etc. that are exposed to the natural environment for a long time.

The role of "carbon black" is to improve the weather resistance of PE and other plastic pipes in a targeted manner.

Effects of Carbon Black On PE Pipe Performance

1. What will happen if PE pipes are exposed to the sun for a long time?

When PE plastic pipes are exposed outdoors, the ultraviolet rays in the sunlight, as a high-energy ray, will decompose the molecular chains on the surface of the plastic and produce free radicals. The free radicals are further oxidized to produce peroxides, which react with polymers to cause polymer aging. The final reflection on the pipe is surface cracking and brittleness, the mechanical properties continue to decline, and the service life is reduced.

Effects of Carbon Black On PE Pipe Performance

2. What is carbon black?

Carbon black is a black powdered carbon material, usually made from petroleum byproducts, natural gas or coal through incomplete combustion or pyrolysis. Carbon black is widely used as a pigment and filler in industries such as rubber, coatings and inks.

After adding carbon black, PE pipes can form a uniformly distributed carbon black layer, which effectively absorbs and scatters ultraviolet rays, improves the antioxidant properties of PE pipes, and prevents aging and breakage.

Effects of Carbon Black On PE Pipe Performance

3. What is the main role of carbon black?

In PE pipes, the role of carbon black is mainly manifested in the following two aspects:

● Absorbing ultraviolet rays:

The high surface area and light absorption properties of carbon black enable it to effectively absorb ultraviolet rays and prevent ultraviolet rays from directly irradiating polymer molecules. When carbon black is dispersed in plastic, the carbon black aggregates will scatter ultraviolet rays, and the scattered light is absorbed by the carbon black, thereby reducing the amount of ultraviolet rays directly absorbed by the polymer molecules, reducing the exposure and damage of ultraviolet rays to the polymer.

Effects of Carbon Black On PE Pipe Performance

● Free radical scavenging:

The functional groups on the surface of carbon black (such as hydroxyl groups) can react with free radicals generated by ultraviolet radiation in polymer molecules, thereby scavenging these active free radicals and preventing them from initiating further polymer decomposition reactions. This chemical reaction helps stabilize the polymer structure and delay the aging process of the polymer.

Effects of Carbon Black On PE Pipe Performance

4. What are the requirements for carbon black in PE pipes?

● Carbon black content:

In order to ensure good UV blocking performance, the carbon black content of PE pipe materials should be controlled within the range of 2-2.5%.

● Carbon black particle size:

Carbon black particles should be as fine as possible, usually within the range of 20-50 nanometers, so as to be better dispersed in PE pipe materials.

● Carbon black ash content:

The lower the carbon black ash content, the higher the purity, and the less impact on the performance of PE pipes. In general, the ash content of carbon black for PE pipes should be controlled below 0.5%. (Ash Content refers to the sum of non-carbon substances in carbon black, usually inorganic salts and other non-combustible residues in carbon black.)

Effects of Carbon Black On PE Pipe Performance

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References

What Is Masterbatch, Basic Knowledge Of Masterbatch

Maintenance And Repair Of Extruder Screws And Barrel

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