Carbon black is the same pigment either way. What changes is how it behaves between the drum and the mixer — and in tile production, that is where the cost sits.
Powder and paste, line by line
| Carbon black powder | Carbon black paste | |
|---|---|---|
| Color consistency across runs | Depends on how completely each batch disperses; the same powder can read differently run to run | Pre-dispersed, so the result depends far less on mixing energy and operator |
| Specks and streaks | Agglomerates that fail to wet out show as defects. In tile, that is a reject | Dispersed before it arrives; nothing left to break down in the mixer |
| Dust in the plant | Extremely fine, airborne, settles across floors and neighboring lines | None |
| Cross-contamination | Airborne black lands in light and white bodies on nearby lines | Contained; no migration |
| Dosing | Light and clinging; bridges in hoppers and augers | Pumped or weighed, repeatable to the tenth of a pound |
| Mix cycle | Longer to reach uniform color | Shorter — already wet |
| Dose range | — | 0.5 to 2 lb per 94 lb of cement |
| Housekeeping and exposure | Persistent cleaning burden, respiratory nuisance | Substantially reduced |
- Color consistency across runs — powder: Depends on how completely each batch disperses; the same powder can read differently run to run · paste: Pre-dispersed, so the result depends far less on mixing energy and operator
- Specks and streaks — powder: Agglomerates that fail to wet out show as defects. In tile, that is a reject · paste: Dispersed before it arrives; nothing left to break down in the mixer
- Dust in the plant — powder: Extremely fine, airborne, settles across floors and neighboring lines · paste: None
- Cross-contamination — powder: Airborne black lands in light and white bodies on nearby lines · paste: Contained; no migration
- Dosing — powder: Light and clinging; bridges in hoppers and augers · paste: Pumped or weighed, repeatable to the tenth of a pound
- Mix cycle — powder: Longer to reach uniform color · paste: Shorter — already wet
- Dose range — powder: — · paste: 0.5 to 2 lb per 94 lb of cement
- Housekeeping and exposure — powder: Persistent cleaning burden, respiratory nuisance · paste: Substantially reduced
Where the money is
Every line above resolves to the same place: yield. Fewer speck rejects, fewer off-shade runs, less contamination of light bodies. The dust and the housekeeping are real problems, but they are not the ones that show up in the cost of a run.
Two things your process engineer will ask
Added water. Paste carries a liquid vehicle. At 2 lb per sack that is on the order of a pound of water — negligible for wet-cast. If you dry-press, water content is decisive, and we will give you the exact figure for your body rather than a general one. There is no single published water-equivalence number for the line, which is exactly why it is worked out per body.
Freezing. Water-based paste can freeze in transit or in unheated storage. Powder cannot. It is a storage condition rather than a limitation of the material, and it is worth planning for — store above 37 °F, and do not use paste that has been allowed to freeze.
Dose and packaging
Carbon black paste runs 0.5 to 2 lb per 94 lb of cement. That is the lower of the two dose ladders in the liquid line, and it is deliberate — carbon black reaches full color at roughly a third of the dose the other colors need. Dosing it on the standard ladder would put you three and a half times over the recommended maximum. See Carbon Black 102 vs Charcoal 206.
Packaging. 2 lb and 44 lb net. The 44 lb pail suits a production line; the 2 lb pack is a trial-batch size.
Common questions
Is carbon black paste a different pigment from the powder?
No. It is the same pigment. What changes is the form it arrives in and how it behaves between the drum and the mixer — and in tile production, that is where the cost sits.
What does paste actually save on a production line?
Every line of the comparison resolves to the same place: yield. Fewer speck rejects, fewer off-shade runs, and less contamination of light bodies. The dust, the housekeeping and the shorter mix cycle are real, but they are not where the money is.
Why is cross-contamination singled out?
Because it is the defect hardest to trace and most expensive to chase. If you run light or white bodies anywhere near the black line, airborne carbon black appears in a product that never touched the pigment. Paste is contained, so there is no migration.
How much water does the paste add?
It carries a liquid vehicle. At 2 lb per sack that is on the order of a pound of water, which is negligible for wet-cast. If you dry-press, water content is decisive — ask for the exact figure for your body rather than working from a general one.
Can the paste freeze?
Yes. It is water-based, so it can freeze in transit or in unheated storage, where powder cannot. That is a storage condition rather than a limitation of the material, and it is worth planning for. Store above 37 degrees Fahrenheit and do not use paste that has frozen.
What pack size suits a production line?
The 44 lb pail. Paste is sold in 2 lb and 44 lb net weights, and the 2 lb pack is a trial-batch size.
What’s Next
- Which black → Carbon Black 102 vs Charcoal 206
- Metering and pumping → Weighing vs Pumping Liquid Pigment
- The water question → Does Liquid Pigment Change the Water-Cement Ratio?
- Quantities → How Much Liquid Concrete Pigment
- Prove it on a panel → How to Make and Approve a Test Panel
- Shop → ColorBlast Pro™ Pigment Paste · 405-275-6657
Direct Colors. Shawnee, OK. Manufacturing the full decorative concrete system since 1997.
