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Shaanxi Coal Shenmu Tianyuan Company has made new progress in the production of high-end carbon materials (acicular coke) from medium- and low-temperature coal tar. Author/Source: Shaanxi Coal Group Date: 2021-05-11 Clicks: 1. Since 2018, Shaanxi Coal Group Shenmu Tianyuan Chemical Co., Ltd. has been working on the research and development of high-end carbon materials for the domestic market. After three years of continuous exploration and experimentation, it has now achieved breakthrough progress in the field of producing high-end carbon materials (acicular coke) from medium- and low-temperature coal tar. This technology was developed in 2019; using medium- and low-temperature coal tar pitch as raw material, and by making full use of theories on colloid formation and the kinetics of pitch carbonization, it opened up an innovative path for producing high-quality needle coke and anode materials from medium- and low-temperature coal tar. In 2020, impurities in the raw material were removed through mixed-solvent extraction, resulting in qualified needle coke feedstock (refined pitch) whose specifications exceeded the design values. At present, this technology has been used to determine the process conditions for producing needle coke based on refined asphalt preparation; it has also explored the mechanisms of colloid formation and destruction in coal tar asphalt within solvents, as well as the coking reaction conditions for refined asphalt. Through pilot tests in a technology research and development center and pilot operations using production facilities, factors such as temperature, pressure, and heating rate have been addressed, resulting in coke products with a silver-gray metallic luster. Through analysis using a polarizing microscope and a scanning electron microscope, it was found that the product exhibits a microstructure with good anisotropy and a wide-range streamlined porous pattern. It features a low coefficient of thermal expansion, high electrical conductivity, and easy graphitization; its quality far exceeds expectations, making it fully suitable as a raw material for the production of high-power and ultra-high-power graphite electrodes. The project fills the gap in domestic technology regarding the production of needle coke from medium- and low-temperature coal tar. These fundamental research results provided the design basis data for Tianyuan Company’s “pre-treatment device capacity expansion and upgrading project”. To date, 5 invention patents and 1 utility model patent have been applied for using this technology. Next, Tianyuan Company will continue to pursue innovation by researching mesophase carbon fibers and mesophase resins, further expanding and deepening the product’s industrial and value chains in order to enhance its influence within the industry. (Mu Hui, Hao Xiangli)