Thermal Oxidation of Electrode Coal Pitch

Abstract

Coal tar pitch is important as a binder in the production of construction materials and as the raw material in the production of pitch coke. It is widely used, under the name of electrode pitch, as a binder in the production of electrodes and anode mass. Various modifications improve the characteristics of electrode pitch. In the present work, the practicality of modification by low-temperature thermal oxidation (up to 300°C) is considered. Specifically, experiments are conducted on the thermal oxidation of Altai Koks electrode pitch. The apparatus employed consists of a reactor, a compressor, and a heating system. The softening point, fractional composition, and yield of the oxidation products are determined. Low-temperature thermal oxidation permits the production of higher-quality electrode pitch. The duration of low-temperature thermal oxidation and the maximum temperature corresponding to increase in the softening point of the pitch are established. This outcome of oxidation is of great interest. The experiments show that the content of the α₁ fraction does not increase in the low-temperature thermal oxidation of electrode pitch. The increase in softening point is associated with increase in the α₂ fraction during oxidation.