Non-aqueous zeta potential measurements of carbon black powders

Carbon black nanopowders are widely used in many industrial fields, including ink, paint, and coating applications; asphalt sealants and decorative concrete colorants; textiles and conductive/resistive applications. There are several applications in which the carbon black has to be dispersed in non-aqueous media. There has been much effort spent, mostly based on empirical formulation, in finding the best medium to disperse carbon black particles to minimize the presence of aggregates. For different dispersion media, besides the molecular structural differences, one parameter that relates the charge transfer capability, and therefore the surface charge of dispersed particles, is the dielectric constant. A systematic way to find the best medium for the dispersion of carbon black particles is to measure its zeta potential, as well as its particle size in media of various relative permittivities.