A process useful for the production of a carbon black useful as an ingredient in dry cell battery compositions is disclosed which comprises heating a carbon black feedstock having a dibutylphalate absorption (DBP) ranging from 200 to 250 cc/100 g, nitrogen surface area ranging from about 30 to about 60 m.sup.2 /g, an average stacking height (L.sub.c) of ordered graphitic layer segments ranging from about 1.1 to about 1.5 nm, and a wide aggregate size distribution with a range of measured aggregate volume from about 5.times.10.sup.4 to about 1.times.10.sup.9 nm.sup.3, a geometric mean aggregate volume (Log Vg, nm.sup.3) of about 6.2 to about 7.5, and geometric standard deviation (for Log Vg, nm.sup.3) of about 0.7 to about 1.0. This feedstock is heated to a temperature ranging from 1400.degree. C. to 2400.degree. C. under an inert atmosphere, thereby producing a carbon black having a DBP ranging from about 210 to about 270 cc/100 g, essentially the same nitrogen surface area, essentially the same aggregate volume and standard deviation, and an L.sub.c ranging from about 1.6 to about 3.7 nm.
A pasted nickel electrode for a storage cell having an alkaline electrolyte, the electrode comprising a current collector and an active mass based on nickel hydroxide in powder form together with a carbon-based conductor, the electrode being characterized by the fact that said carbon-based conductor is made up of particles of carbon that withstand electrochemical oxidation and that satisfy the following relationship: W>0.025 in units of 10.sup.9 g/m, where W=TC002/S.times.G, where TC002 is the size of the [002] crystallite on the X-ray diffraction pattern expressed in nanometers; S is the specific surface area of the particles expressed in m.sup.2 /g; G is the graphitization coefficient of the carbon defined as follows: d002 is the lattice constant in the 002 direction in nanometers.
A chloroprene type rubber composition which comprises a chloroprene type rubber, a carbon black having an average stacking height Lc of at least 2 nm in a C axis direction of the layer planes in the crystallites, and a zinc powder.
A primary electrochemical cell having an oxidizable active anode material, a cathode current colletor including a layer of a catalyst material for reducing the liquid cathode material, and an electrolytic solution comprising a liquid cathode material and an electrolyte solute dissolved therein. The catalyst material comprises a carbon black having a surface area of 250 square meters per gram or greater and a dibutyl phthalate absorption number of 125 cubic centimeters per 100 grams of carbon black or greater.
A fuel cell comprises a cathode (electrode catalyst layer), an anode (electrode catalyst layer), and a gas diffusion layer provided at least on one of the cathode and anode between a collector and the electrode catalyst layer and containing carbon having an oil absorption larger than that of a catalyst-supporting carbon used in the electrode catalyst layers. As a result, the dropping of the cell voltage due to external factor is suppressed, even if the cell temperature is low (room temperature to 50.degree. C.). The water-absorption pressure of the water passage in the gas diffusion layer is higher than those of the electrode catalyst layers. The produced water and moving water in the cathode is absorbed into the water passage in the gas diffusion layer exhausted to the collector side. When a cell temperature is low, the evaporation speed of water from the collectors is lowered. However, the produced water and moving water in the cathode are physically attracted on the basis of the water-absorbing pressure of the gas diffusion layer and discharged toward the collector side, so that the reduction of the cell voltage is prevented.
The present invention discloses a carbon black having an N.sub.2 SA of 75 to 105 m.sup.2 /g and a compressive DBP absorption of at least 110 ml/100 g and, at the same time, having the following selective characteristic values: true specific gravity.ltoreq.1.9080-0.0016.times.N.sub.2 SA; void diameter of particle aggregates (nm).gtoreq.62.2-0.236.times.N.sub.2 SA; and range of aggregate size distribution [.DELTA.Dst (nm)].gtoreq.30.6+0.6118.times.Dst.
