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, Lc, 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.