Carbonization and liquid-crystal (mesophase) development. 17. Co-carbonization of a solvent-refined coal with petroleum pitches and hydrogenated coal-extract solution

This study characterizes the optical textures of cokes prepared by the carbonization of Ashland petroleum pitches, of non-hydrogenated and hydrogenated coal-extract solutions (CES) and of blends of non-hydrogenated CES materials with the petroleum pitches and hydrogenated CES materials. At an HTT of 823 K petroleum pitches produce cokes with large sized optical texture of flow-type anisotropy characteristic of needle-cokes. The non-hydrogenated CES materials produce cokes with optical textures of mozaics, 2–10 μm. However, following hydrogenation the CES materials carbonized to cokes all of which possess considerable large sized optical textures which for some materials resemble that of needle-cokes by possessing strong flow-type anisotropy, > 100 μm. Hydrogenation of the CES materials evidently facilitates the physical and chemical requirements for growth and coalescence of lamellar nematic liquid-crystals and mesophase from the fluid phase of carbonization leading to anisotropic carbon. Co-carbonizations of the non-hydrogenated and hydrogenated CES materials exhibit the dominant partner effect and are comparable in behaviour with Ashland petroleum pitches which are known to produce needle-cokes on carbonization.