Coal tar pitch is a product with high carbon content and aromatic compounds. Modified coal tar pitch is a high quality raw material for the preparation of intermediate phase pitch, needle coke, carbon microspheres, et al. In this paper, modified coal tar pitch was used as raw material, nitrogen was used as protective gas, and thermal conversion was carried out at constant temperatures (370, 390, 410, 420 °C). Polarized light microscopy, SEM, elemental analysis, FTIR spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and XRD diffraction combined with split-peak fitting were used to characterize the microstructures of the thermal transformation products. The results showed that the Iar and CH3/ CH2 contents of the products increased with the gradual increase of the thermal conversion temperature, and the aromatic content increased. And the higher the temperature at the same heating rate, the more the ideal graphite microcrystal content, and the defective graphite microcrystals are converted into ideal graphite microcrystals during the thermal conversion process. When the reaction temperature exceeds 390 °C, the microstructure of the thermal transformation products is anisotropic spheres, and the small spheres fuse with each other and tend to be basin-like and mosaic structure as the temperature increases.

Coal-tar pitch, a feedstock which can be heat-treated to create graphite, is composed of very complex molecules. Coal-tar pitch is a precursor of many useful carbon materials (e.g., graphite, carbon fibers, electrodes and matrices of carbon/carbon composites). Modified coal-tar pitch (MCTP) was prepared using two different heat-treatment methods and their properties were characterized and compared. One was prepared using heat treatment in nitrogen gas; the other was prepared under a pressure of 350 mmHg in air. The MCTPs were investigated to determine several properties, including softening point, C/H ratio, coke yield, formation of anisotropic mesophase and viscosity. The MCTPs were subject to considerable changes in chemical composition due to condensation and polymerization in the used-as-received coal-tar pitch after heat-treatment under different conditions. The MCTPs showed considerable increases in softening point, C/H ratio, and coke yield, compared to those of as-received coal-tar pitch. The MCTP formed by heat-treatment in nitrogen showed isotropic phases below 350˚C for 1 h of soaking time. However, MCTP heat-treated under high pressure (350 mmHg) showed isotropic phases below 300˚C, and showed anisotropic phases above 350˚C, for 1 h of soaking time. The viscosity of the MCTPs increased with increase in their softening points.