Preparation of binder pitches by blending coal-tar and petroleum pitches

This paper deals with the preparation and characterization of blends obtained by physically mixing a commercial binder coal-tar pitch and two selected petroleum pitches in different proportions. The results show that there are no chemical interactions between the coal-tar and petroleum pitch components at the blending stage, although wettability is substantially improved. However, considerable interactions can be observed between the pitch components when the blends are carbonized. These interactions affect weight loss, mesophase development and the optical texture of the pitch cokes. Coal-tar pitch shortens the temperature range of petroleum pitch weight loss, restricts the ability of the petroleum pitch to generate mesophase and improves the microstrength of the cokes.