Structure of Pitch Precursor

Typical structures of compounds found in a coal tar pitch are shown in Table 4.14 and these products will, in the process of making carbon fiber, be converted by pyrolysis to carbon and ultimately, to a three dimensional graphite. The effect of spinning conditions on the structures of pitch based carbon fiber has been investigated [277]. Before carbonization takes place, non-aromatic structures are converted to aromatics, which are the key building blocks for carbon. 

A typical polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon in mesophase is shown below  

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