Is carbon black a nanoparticle?
While primary particle (near spherical building blocks of carbon black) diameters are generally in the 10-300 nanometer range, carbon black products as placed into commerce (the final product) are agglomerates, which are much larger in size (100 – 1000 nanometers in diameter). These agglomerates do not break down into smaller components (e.g., aggregates) because of the effect of van der Waals forces unless adequate force is applied (i.e., shear force). Thus, as placed on the market, carbon black products are not nanoparticles.
