Coal tar pitch

The standard NF T 65-004 classifies the types of composite bitumen it distinguishes three grades of bitumen-tars by their pseudo-viscosities and two grades of bitumen-coal tar pitch by their penetrabilities. 

Fig. 5.14 Adsorption isotherms of water on carbon in (a) to f) with corresponding isotherms of nitrogen in (a), (c) and (J), and of benzene in (f>). (a) Charcoal (b) active carbon AY8 (c) charcoal A (J) charcoal (e) a coal tar pitch kilned at 1200°C (/) a charcoal (S600H). (Redrawn from the diagrams in the original papers.)...

Naphthalene, anthracene, carbazole [86-74-8] phenol [108-95-2] and cresyUc acids are found in the tar. Phenol and cresyUc acids are useful as chemical and resin intermediates. The aromatic chemicals are useful in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals, dyes, fragrances, and pesticides. Various grades of pitch are made from residues of tar refining. Coal-tar pitch is used for roofing and road tar, and as a binder mixed with petroleum coke to produce anodes for the aluminum industry. 

The coal tar first is processed through a tar-distillation step where ca the first 20 wt % of distillate, ie, chemical oil, is removed. The chemical oil, which contains practically all the naphthalene present in the tar, is reserved for further processing, and the remainder of the tar is distilled further to remove additional creosote oil fractions until a coal-tar pitch of desirable consistency and properties is obtained. 

Trimesic acid is also referred to as 5-carboxyisophthahc acid [554-95-0] trimesinic acid, or trimesitinic acid. It is a smaH-volume, synthetic chemical and is sold commercially. Traces of trimesic acid as well as other aromatic carboxyUc acids with three or more carboxyUc acid groups are found in lignite (137), and when various types of coals or coal components such as brown coal, asphaltene, or coal-tar pitch are oxidized. 

Piebaked anodes aie produced by molding petroleum coke and coal tar pitch binder into blocks typically 70 cm x 125 cm x 50 cm, and baking to 1000—1200°C. Petroleum coke is used because of its low impurity (ash) content. The more noble impurities, such as iron and siUcon, deposit in the aluminum whereas less noble ones such as calcium and magnesium, accumulate as fluorides in the bath. Coal-based coke could be used, but extensive and expensive prepurification would be required. Steel stubs seated in the anode using cast iron support the anodes (via anode rods) in the electrolyte and conduct electric current into the anodes (Fig. 3). Electrical resistivity of prebaked anodes ranges from 5-6 Hm anode current density ranges from 0.65 to 1.3 A/crn. ... 

Table 6. Coal-Tar Pitch Used in Roofing, Dampproofing, and Waterproofing ...

CPA. Copolymer alloy membranes (CPAs) are made by alloying high molecular weight polymeries, plasticizers, special stabilizers, biocides, and antioxidants with poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC). The membrane is typically reinforced with polyester and comes in finished thicknesses of 0.75—1.5 mm and widths of 1.5—1.8 m. The primary installation method is mechanically fastened, but some fully adhered systems are also possible. The CPA membranes can exhibit long-term flexibiHty by alleviating migration of the polymeric plasticizers, and are chemically resistant and compatible with many oils and greases, animal fats, asphalt, and coal-tar pitch. The physical characteristics of a CPA membrane have been described (15). 

Coal tar is the condensation product obtained by cooling to approximately ambient temperature, the gas evolved in the destmctive distillation of coal. It is a black viscous Hquid denser than water and composed primarily of a complex mixture of condensed ring aromatic hydrocarbons. It may contain phenoHc compounds, aromatic nitrogen bases and their alkyl derivatives, and paraffinic and olefinic hydrocarbons. Coal-tar pitch is the residue from the distillation of coal tar. It is a black soHd having a softening point of 30—180°C (86—359°F). 

Viscosity of Coal- Tar Pitch and Change with Temperature. Because pitch is mainly used as a hot-appHed binder or adhesive, the viscosity and its change with temperature are important in industrial practice. Some useful correlations, by which the viscosity of pitch at any temperature can be predicted, have been developed. The data on which such correlations are based may be from one of the fixed equiviscous points that characterize a pitch (Table 5). 

Table 5. Viscosities of Fixed Points for Coal-Tar Pitch...

The general equation for the temperature function of coal-tar pitch takes the foUowiag form (43) ... 

Coal-tar pitch for other uses is similarly subject to a few national specifications but mainly sold to users specifications. Pitch intended for roofing, dampproofing, and waterproofing is the subject of ASTM specification D450 and Federal specification R-P-381 hot-appHed tar-based coatings (pipeline enamels) are the subject of BSS 4164/1987, amended in 1988, and, in the United States, of American Water Works Association (AWWA) specification C203. 

However, it was shown that only the higher boiling fractions were carcinogenic and that the spectra of these fractions resembled those of ben2[a]anthracene (65). This work culminated in the isolation of a highly carcinogenic compound, ben2o[a]pyrene (BaP) from coal-tar pitch (66). 

Timber-preservation creosotes are mainly blends of wash oil, strained anthracene oil, and heavy oil having minor amounts of oils boiling in the 200—250°C range. Coal-tar creosote is also a feedstock for carbon black manufacture (see Carbon, carbon black). Almost any blend of tar oils is suitable for this purpose, but the heavier oils are preferred. Other smaller markets for creosote were for fluxing coal tar, pitch, and bitumen in the manufacture of road binders and for the production of horticultural winter wash oils and disinfectant emulsions. 

Pitch. The principal outlet for coal-tar pitch is as the binder for the electrodes used in aluminum smelting. These are of two types. Older plants employ Sn derberg furnaces, which incorporate paste electrodes consisting of a mixture of about 70% graded petroleum coke or pitch coke and 30% of a medium-hard coke-oven pitch. This paste is added periodically to the top of the monolithic electrode as it is consumed. The more modem smelters employ prebaked electrodes requiring less binder, about 18%. 

Mesophase formation in coal-tar pitch is encouraged by a reduction of the natural quinoline-insoluble matter content, which resembles carbon black but is not optically anisotropic and is characterized by an atomic carbon hydrogen ratio of 4 1. In contrast, the atomic carbon hydrogen ratio of mesophase is about 2 1. 

Other uses for coal-tar pitch include production as a binder for foundry cores, as a sealant for dry batteries, and in the manufacture of clay pigeons. PeUeted pitch used as the binder in foundry cores is a hard pitch suppHed as spherical granules which are formed by a spray-cooling process. Clay pigeons consist of disks molded from a mixture of hard pitch and a mineral filler such as clay or limestone dust. 

The increasing use of carbon-bonded and carbon-impregnated refractories is providing another growing market for refined tars. These vary from a soft pitch to a refined tar of as low as 30°C equiviscous temperature (EVT) (see Refractories). Liquid fuels were formerly important outlets for coal-tar, pitch—oil blends, and topped tar which could not be disposed of more profitably (79). However, as a result of reduced tar suppHes this usage has been phased out. 

Goal Tar. In roofing, coal tar is used as mopping bitumen in between 15 and 20% of the BUR roofs installed. Coal-tar pitch and asphalt are considered incompatible and should not be mixed. If mixed, an oily exudate is formed that plasticizes the bitumen, and the mixture remains soft and does not weather well. For this reason, if coal tar is used in BUR systems the felts must be coal-tar saturated. There has been some success using asphalt-coated fiber-glass mat felts with coal-tar pitch. However, this has only been done for a limited number of years so the actual compatibiHty is not fully known. 

Coal-Tar Pitch Coke. Coal-tar pitch is used to produce needle coke primarily in Japan. Processes for producing needle coke from pitch have also been developed in Germany (4). The key to producing needle coke from coal tar or coal-tar pitch is the removal of the high concentrations of infusible sohds, or material insoluble in quinoline (QI), which are present in the original tar. The QI inhibits the growth of mesophase and results in an isotropic, high CTE coke from coal-tar pitch. After removal of the QI, very anisotropic and low CTE cokes are obtained from coal-tar-based materials. 

The principal binder material, coal-tar pitch, is produced by the distillation of coal tar. Coal tar is obtained primarily as a by-product of the destmctive distillation of bituminous coal in coke ovens during the production of metallurgical coke. Petroleum pitch is used to a much lesser extent as a binder in carbon and graphite manufacture. Because of its low sohds content, petroleum pitch is used as an impregnant to strengthen carbon artifacts prior to graphitization. 

Two types of carbon electrodes are in widespread use. Prebaked carbon electrodes (Fig. 5) are those made from a mixture of carbonaceous particles and a coal-tar pitch binder. The electrode is formed by extmsion or mol ding from a heated plasticlike mix and subsequently baked. Final bake temperature is sufficient to carbonize the binder, ie, about 850°C. At this temperature the binder is set, all volatiles have left, and a significant portion of the product shrinkage has occurred. 

Production of one metric ton of molten aluminum requites about 500 kg of anode carbon and 7.5—10 kg of cathode blocks which is the largest industry usage of carbon materials. Aluminum smelters generally have an on-site carbon plant for anode production. Anode technology is focused on taw materials (petroleum coke and coal-tar pitch), processing techniques, and todding practices (74). 

Fig. 7. Three-dimensional pseudophase diagram of an oil or coal-tar pitch (49).

Carbon black from oil is the main competition for the product from coal, which is used in filters. Carbon for electrodes is primarily made from petroleum coke, although pitch coke is used in Germany for this product. The pitch binder used for electrodes and other carbon products is almost always a selected coal tar pitch. 

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