Modified characteristics of mesophase pitch prepared from coal tar pitch by adding waste polystyrene

The toluene soluble of coal tar pitch was carbonized with waste polystyrene. The properties of mesophase pitches were characterized using polarized light optical microscope, apparent viscometer, FT-IR, ¹H NMR and X-ray diffractometer. After adding the waste polystyrene into the toluene soluble of coal tar pitch, the soluble mesophase were was increased from about 9% to 52% and the mesophase pitches were changed from 74% with coarse mosaic texture to 100% with flow domain texture. The mesophase pitches were transformed from thixotropy to unthixotropy. By waste polystyrene added into the toluene soluble of coal tar pitch, the methylene group was increased a lot. The presence of more alkyl groups modified the characteristics of mesophase pitches and improved the assembly of mesophase pitch molecules.