It is intended to provide a carbon black which can confer reinforcing properties and low exothermicity, which are usually incompatible, as well as excellent abrasion resistance, when mixed with a rubber component, and is suitable for tire tread rubber that is used particularly under severe driving conditions.
The present invention provides a carbon black having surface free energy γd of 50 to 200 mJ/m2 determined by a reverse-phase gas chromatography analysis method and a strongly acidic group concentration of 0 to 0.115 μmol/m2.