Smoothness evaluation of clean furnace blacks

The use of furnace process carbon blacks in semiconductive shields for cable is well known. For medium- to high-voltage power cables, furnace carbon black-filled semiconducting materials are used most notably to prevent a partial discharge at the surface between the conductor and the insulation or the insulation and the insulation shield layers. The author shows that two critical carbon black properties play a role in shield interface smoothness: dispersibility, and the amount of organic and inorganic residue present in the product.<>