Mesophase pitch is a unique graphitizable material that has been used as an important precursor for highly graphitic carbon materials. In the current study, we propose to consider a spinnable mesophase pitch as a lyotropic liquid crystalline solution composed of solvent components and liquid crystalline components, so-called mesogen or mesogenic components. Among mesophase pitches, the supermesophase pitch is defined as a mesohpase pitch with 100% anisotropy, and can only be observed in pitches with a proportion of mesogenic components exceeding the threshold concentration (TC). We also examined the critical limit of AR synthetic pitch and 5 experimental spinnable mesophase pitches (SMPs). Then, we examined the effect of the solvent component on the minimum required amount of mesogenic component using a selected solvent component instead of their own solvent components. AR pitch showed 100% anisotropy with the least amount of its mesogenic component, THF insoluble components, of 60 wt.%. The solvent component, THF soluble components, extracted from AR-pitch, which has a molecular weight pattern similar to that of the original material but more amount of naphthenic alkyl chains, showed better solvent functionality than those of other THF solubles (THFSs) from other as-prepared spinnable mesophase pitches. This is why a lower amount of AR THFS can produce a supermesophase pitch when combined with the THFI (mesogenic components) of other experimental mesophase pitches. As a result of the current analysis, we define the mesogens as molecules that not only readily stack, but also maintain stacking structures in a fused state in the solution. The solvent component, on the other hand, is defined as molecules with a structure that readily decomposes in a fused state in the solution.

Analysis of spinnable mesophase pitch in terms of lyotropic liquid crystalline solution
    Abstract
    1 Introduction
    2 Experimental
        2.1 Preparation of spinnable mesophase pitches
        2.2 Solvent extraction of as-prepared SMPs
        2.3 Preparation of SMPs using various ratios of THFI to THFS
        2.4 Characterizations
    3 Results and discussion
        3.1 Characteristics of as-prepared SMPs and their THFIs and THFSs
        3.2 Preparations of new pitches by thermal mixing of mesogenic and solvent components
        3.3 Preparation of new pitches prepared by thermal mixing of various mesogenic components of the as-prepared SMPs and selected solvent component of AR-THFS
    4 Conclusion
    Anchor 14
    Acknowledgements 
    References

• Takashi Mashio(Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Engineering Sciences, Kyushu University, Kasuga, Fukuoka 816‑8580, Japan)
• Taisei Tomaru(Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Engineering Sciences, Kyushu University, Kasuga, Fukuoka 816‑8580, Japan)
• Hiroki Shimanoe(Institute for Materials Chemistry and Engineering, Kyushu University, Kasuga, Fukuoka 816‑8580, Japan)
• Seung‑Jae Ha(C1 Gas & Carbon Convergent Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Gajeong‑Ro Yuseong‑Gu, Daejeon 34114, Korea)
• Young‑Pyo Jeon(C1 Gas & Carbon Convergent Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Gajeong‑Ro Yuseong‑Gu, Daejeon 34114, Korea, University of Science and Technology, Gajeong‑Ro Yuseong‑Gu, Daejeon 34114, Korea)
• Koji Nakabayashi(Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Engineering Sciences, Kyushu University, Kasuga, Fukuoka 816‑8580, Japan, Institute for Materials Chemistry and Engineering, Kyushu University, Kasuga, Fukuoka 816‑8580, Japan)
• Jin Miyawaki(Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Engineering Sciences, Kyushu University, Kasuga, Fukuoka 816‑8580, Japan, Institute for Materials Chemistry and Engineering, Kyushu University, Kasuga, Fukuoka 816‑8580, Japan)
• Seong‑Ho Yoon(Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Engineering Sciences, Kyushu University, Kasuga, Fukuoka 816‑8580, Japan, Institute for Materials Chemistry and Engineering, Kyushu University, Kasuga, Fukuoka 816‑8580, Japan)