Page 237

  237Carbon Black 
By Richard F. Zaffarano1 and S. 0. Wood, Jr.2 
 Carbon black shipments continued their long-term growth pattern in 1972
by increas-ing 8.0%, following a 6.1% rise in 1971. 
 Production was a record 3,201 million pounds. Exports continued thei-r decline
to a low level of ill million pounds. A 10.3% gain in domestic sales was
one factor that resulted in yearend producer's stocks being 58 million pounds
below the 1971 level. The rubber industry continued to- -be -the leading
user of carbon black. Ira 1972, U.S. passenger tire production increased
4% to 195.3 million tires, according to preliminary figures--of the Rubber
Manufacturers- -Association, Inc. 
 Tbe - carbon - black industry operated a-t 76.6% capacity in 1972. Daily
plant capaci-ty increased 7.2% to a record 11.4 million pounds - per - day.
 Overall- - production of carbon black in 
1972 topped that of the preceding year by 
184 million pounds. Channel-black output 
dropped 24 million pounds. 
 As shown in table 1, the average value of carbon black at the plant in 1972
was 7.76 cents per pound, an increase of 0.07 cents per pound over that of
the previous year. 
 The volume of natural gas used for manufacturing carbon black declined 9.8
billion cubic feet. Yield also declined from 5.06 pounds per thousand cubic
feet in 
1971 -to 5.02 pounds per thousand cubic feet- in 1972. Liquid hydrocarbons
feedstocks increased 43 million gallons to a total of 591 million gallons.
Average yield increased- slightly from 4.92 to 4.96 pounds per gallon.. -
PRODUCTION AND* CAPACITY 
 Production by State.—Production of-, carboss bla-ck totaled 3,201
million pounds iii 1972, an increase of 184 million pounds, 6.1% above the
previous year's total. Louisiana supplied 33.7% of - the total. Texas' share
of the -national total was 44.5%. The seven States that produced the remaining
21 .8-% of carbon black were Alabama, Arkansas, California, Kansas, Ohio,
- Oklahoma, and West Virginia. 
 Production by Grade and Type.— Although- carbon black was produced
by both the channel and furnace processes, the- latter accounted for 99.3%
of 1972 production. There are seven major grades of carbon black plus thermal
black produced by the furnace process. Two of these grades, SRF (Semireinfoi-cing--furnace)
and HMF (High-modulus furnace), as-e gas furnace blacks. The remaining five
gsades are oil furnace blacks. The HAF 
(High-abrasion furnace) and ISAF (Intermediate-abrasion furnace) grades continued
to lead in the production of oil furnace blacks. 
 Number and Capacity of Plants.—The total number of producing carbon
black plants was 34, three less -than in the previous yea-r. In terms of
capacity, however, there was an increase -from 10.6 million to 11.4 million
pounds per day. As shown in table 4, plants in Texas and Louisiana accounted
for the major share of the increase in daily capacity. 
 J. M. Huber Corp. started construction to double its thermal black production
capacity to 50 million pounds per year at Borger, Tex. 
Materials Used and Yields.—In 1972, a total of 590.8 milliosi gallons
of liquid hy1 Physical scientist, Division of Fossil Fuels. 
2 Petroleum engineer, Division of Fossil luels.