Structural study of cokes using optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction

Cokes exhibiting a range of optical texture from isotropie to anisotropic domains > 60 μm diameter were examined by X-ray diffraction. The variation of an optical texture index (OTI) with crystallite height and interlayer spacing was studied. The OTI varies little with the X-ray parameters for cokes whose optical texture is larger than medium-grained (1.5–5.0 μm) mosaic anisotropy. For cokes of smaller optical texture there is a sharp decrease in crystallite height and an increase in interlayer spacing. These results are discussed in terms of fluid mesophase removing defects in cokes of optical texture of size of coarsegrained mosaics and larger. The cokes of smaller optical texture are formed from less fluid mesophase which does not coalesce. Defects therefore remain in this anisotropic carbon of the coke so reducing crystallographic order.