Enhancement of mesocarbon microbead (MCMB) preparation through supercritical fluid extraction and fractionation

Enhancement of mesocarbon microbead (MCMB) preparation through supercritical fluid extraction and fractionation

Supercritical fluid extraction

Molecular weight

Coal industry

Carbonization

Textures

Effluent treatment

Supercritical fluids

Coal tar

Coal carbonization

Microbeads

Mesocarbon microbeads (MCMBs) are a valuable carbon material, and the production of this material highly depends on the reaction conditions and feedstock properties. In the present study, supercritical fluid extraction fractionation (SFEF) technology was used to separate coal tar pitch (CTP) into a series of fractions to enhance MCMB preparation. After SFEF separation, most of the toluene-insoluble (TI) components were concentrated into the unextracted residue. First, optimal carbonization conditions were obtained for CTP through systematic experimental evaluations. Then, the SFEF fractions were heat-treated under the optimal conditions to produce MCMBs, and the relationship between chemical composition and product quality was revealed. Compared with CTP products, MCMBs produced from extracted SFEF fractions showed better morphology, and only a bulk mesophase with poor texture was generated from the unextractable residue. Moreover, the TI fraction had a significant negative impact on MCMB production in carbonaceous mesophase development. The results indicate that supercritical fluid extraction can be used to improve the quality of produced MCMBs by removing undesirable components. 2018 Elsevier Ltd

753-762

237

Fuel

2019

Zhang, Dekai

Zhang, Linzhou

Fang, Xieling

Xu, Zhiming

Sun, Xuewen

Zhao, Suoqi

journalArticle

162361

10.1016/j.fuel.2018.10.054