1. Abstract
Carbon black has been widely used in industry, especially in rubber and plastic production. The present
study is concerned with measuring and simulating the carbon black formation process in Propane-air and
Acetylene-Air diffusion flames. The carbon black concentrations in the furnace have been measured by
means of a soot pump and gravimetric method. The numerical predictions are carried out with the CFD
code, Fluent. The chemical reaction formulation relates the production of the carbon black to the
incomplete combustion and pyrolysis of propane and Acetylene as both the parent gas and the feedstock.
The effect of feedstock mass flow rate, the position of feedstock injection, the feedstock material and the
shape of the furnace on carbon black are studied. The results show the effect of temperature on soot and
carbon black formation in which as the temperature increases the soot and carbon black mass fraction is
also increased. The results are also show that as the feedstock mass flow rate increases the formation of
the carbon black is increased up to point where the mass flow rate of feed stock is three times greater than
the mass flow rate of the parent gas and after that the carbon black production rate starts decreasing
because of the decreasing of temperature due to cold fuel injection to the furnace. The position of
feedstock injection affects the mixing process of air and fuel, complete mixing causes the temperature to
be increased. The injection of feedstock in the pre combustion zone influences the maximum of the flame
temperature. As the hydrocarbon initially pyrolysis to acetylene and after wards acetylene breaks into soot
and carbon black in the present study acetylene is used as feedstock, the results show huge increasing of
soot and carbon black mass fraction in the products. The results also show that predictions and the
experimental measurements are in good agreement.
Key words: Carbon black, Propane, Diffusion Flames

2.  Corresponding author: momahedi_heravih@yahoo.com
Proceeding of the European Combustion Meeting 2009