Petroleum based isotropic pitch was spun into short fiber by melt-blown spinning technology. The processing parameters chosen were air velocity, die temperature, and throughput rate of the pitch within the ranges of experimental tolerances. The fiber diameter was reduced to 6μm by increases of hot air velocity, and spin die temperature. Also, the fiber diameter was strongly dependent on the throughput rate of the pitch and jet speed of hot air through the spinnerets. Even fibers with 10μm diameter were produced at throughput rate of 0.17g/min·hole and at die temperature of 290℃.

A petroleum-based isotropic pitch fiber spun by melt-blown method was oxidized in air flow at various conditions. The oxidized pitch fiber obtained was tested for its infusibility and its elemental composition during the process of stabilization. The structural changes were traced by using solvent solubility, FT-IR spectroscopy, and elemental analysis. The samples showed a gradual increase in weight with increasing the oxidization temperature. The weight gain of sample oxidized at 320℃ for 10 min was about 4.5%. The concentration of the pyridine and toluene soluble fraction decreased with an increase in stabilization temperatures. The oxygen uptaken in the stabilization process converted aliphatic side chains into the carbonyl groups. As stabilization proceeded, the more ether and carboxylic acid groups were formed through the oxidations of aldehyde and primary alcohol, and then the carboxylic acid was dehydrated to be aromatic anhydride.