• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.328-333
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• 2020

In this study, blended feedstock derived pyrolyzed fuel oil (PFO) and coal-tar was prepared to produce a pitch by thermal polymerization reaction for manufacturing artificial graphite materials. The aromaticity value of 0.355 and 0.818 was obtained for PFO and coal-tar, respectively. In addition, PFO and coal-tar exhibited the difference tendency of weight loss curve for thermogravimetric analysis, which is related to the structural stability depending on the aromaticity and functional groups. The production characteristics confirmed that the pitch derived PFO showed lower production yield and higher softening point than that using blended feedstock. In particular, when comparing P360 (138.5 ℃) and B420 (141.4 ℃) having similar softening points, the production yields of both pitches exhibited 29.89 and 49.03 wt%, respectively. This is mainly due to the blending of PFO and coal-tar having high pitch polymerization reactivity including a large amount of alkyl groups and coal-tar having high thermal stability. This phenomenon indicated that the increased production yield is because of a synergic effect of both the high reactivity of PFO and thermal stability of coal-tar.

• Carbon letters
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• v.23
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• pp.48-54
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• 2017

This research considers the effect of added mesophase pitch (MP) as an additive during the pitch synthesis reaction of pyrolyzed fuel oil (PFO). Two effects are generated by adding MP. One is an enhancement of thermal stability due to the high thermal property of the additive; the other is that the volatile compounds that were removed by vaporization of PFO during the thermal reaction can participate in the pitch synthesis reaction ($PFO{\rightarrow}pitch$) more efficiently. The effect differs according to the amount of the additive. When the amount of the additive is less than 7 wt%, the first effect is dominant, whereas the second effect is dominant when the additive amount exceeds 10 wt%.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.612-619
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• 2016

Pitch synthesis reaction was studied based on the effect for chemical composition of feedstock. Feedstock was selected as pyrolyzed fuel oil (PFO) and coal-tar (CT), which are by-products in petroleum and steel industry. Pitch was prepared at $420^{\circ}C$ for 180 minutes on atmospheric pressure by thermal treatment. Thermal stability and softening point (SP) of the prepared pitches were investigated and their molecular weight distribution was analyzed by MALDI-TOF. PFO has various aliphatic compounds and coal-tar has high aromaticity with 3 wt% of primary quinoline insolubles. The thermal property of PFO was enhanced with polymerization reaction during the thermal treatment with increased molecular weight range. But CT was inferior to PFO because of side reaction by hetero elements. CTP was appeared molecular weight by 0~200 m/z.

• Carbon letters
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• v.25
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• pp.78-83
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• 2018

Pyrolyzed fuel oil (PFO) and coal tar was blended in the feedstock to produce pitch via thermal reaction. The blended feedstock and produced pitch were characterized to investigate the effect of the blending ratio. In the feedstock analysis, coal tar exhibited a distinct distribution in its boiling point related to the number of aromatic rings and showed higher Conradson carbon residue and aromaticity values of 26.6% and 0.67%, respectively, compared with PFO. The pitch yield changed with the blending ratio, while the softening point of the produced pitch was determined by the PFO ratio in the blends. On the other hand, the carbon yield increased with increasing coal tar ratio in the blends. This phenomenon indicated that the formation of aliphatic bridges in PFO may occur during the thermal reaction, resulting in an increased softening point. In addition, it was confirmed that the molecular weight distribution of the produced pitch was associated with the predominant feedstock in the blend.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.495-500
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• 2011

Separation of naphthalene from pyrolyzed fuel oil, by product of Naphta cracking process (NCC) process, has been accomplished by the solvent extraction, distillation and purification process. The residual pyrolyzed fuel oil (PFO), called precursor of carbon materials, has been calcined at $300{\sim}800^{\circ}C$ in nitrogen gas to raw pitch. After the treatment of PFO by hexane and methanol, either a flake phased carbon at $350^{\circ}C$ or a carbon sphere at above $400^{\circ}C$ forms. As the calcination temperature increases, the shape of raw pitch changes from the flake phase to the sphere one, and the size of them decreases to several ${\mu}m$. Based on the BET and XRD spectrum, the carbon sphere is classified to a mesophase amorphous carbon with a cubic phase.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.307-312
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• 2017

In this study, the electrochemical performance of surface modified carbon using the PFO (pyrolyzed fuel oil) was investigated by chemical activation with KOH and $K_2CO_3$. PFO was heat treated at $390{\sim}400^{\circ}C$ for 1~3h to prepared the pitch. Three carbon precursors (pitch) prepared by the thermal reaction were 3903 (at $390^{\circ}C$ for 3h), 4001(at $400^{\circ}C$ for 1h) and 4002 (at $400^{\circ}C$ for 2h). Also, the effect of chemical activation catalysts and mixing time on the development of porosity during carbonization was investigated. The prepared carbon was analyzed by BET and FE-SEM. It was shown that chemical activation with KOH could be successfully used to develop carbon with specific surface area ($3.12m^2/g$) and mean pore size (22 nm). The electrochemical characteristics of modified carbon as the anode were investigated by constant current charge/discharge, cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance tests. The coin cell using pitch (4002) modified by KOH has better initial capacity (318 mAh/g) than that of other pitch coin cells. Also, this prepared carbon anode appeared a high initial efficiency of 80% and the retention rate capability of 2C/0.1 C was 92%. It is found that modified carbon anode showed improved cycling and rate capacity performance.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.107-114
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• 2024

In order to produce high-yield pitch-based activated carbon, pitch was synthesized by blending pyrolysis fuel oil (PFO) and coal-tar. Pitch was synthesized by varying the amount of coal-tar from 0~20% compared to PFO and reacting at 380~420 ℃ for 3 h. The synthesized pitch had a softening point between 80 and 260 ℃, and yields ranged from 10 to 40%. At all synthesis temperatures, as the coal-tar blending ratio increased, the yield increased and the softening point decreased. After considering the selected pitches (softening points: 230~260 ℃), pitches containing coal-tar were more volatile at a low boiling point and had a higher residual carbon content. This is a difference in the composition of coal-tar and PFO, and it was con- firmed that coal-tar has a lot of aromatics and PFO has a lot of aliphatics. The selected pitch was heated to 950 ℃ in a tubular reactor and physically activated with steam for 1 hour. Activated carbon containing coal-tar showed higher yield and microporosity compared to only PFO. In this study, the effect of increasing activated carbon yield by blending pitch raw materials was confirmed, and the physical activation characteristics according to the coal-tar mixing ratio were examined.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.59 no.3
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• pp.410-416
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• 2021

To improve the capacity and stability of natural graphite, the electrochemical performances were investigated by using the prepared natural graphite coated with petroleum pitch for anode materials. The pitch coated natural graphite was prepared using a dry speed mixer by adjusting the rotation speed of the mixer, time, composition of graphite and softening point of the pitch. The physical properties of the anode material were analyzed using SEM, TEM, and PSD. The electrochemical performances were investigated by cycle, C-rate, EIS and CV test. When the pitch coated natural graphite was tested in the condition of 9000 RPM, 10 wt%, 2 h, and softening point of 150 ℃, it showed the highest capacity of 324.5 mAh/g at 0.1 C and a capacity retention rate of 98.9% after 50 cycles. In the test for evaluating rate performance, the capacity retention rate (5 C/0.1 C) was 80.3% and was improved by about 1.7 times over the pristine natural graphite.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.534-538
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• 2017

In this study, the molecular weight controlled pitches derived from pyrolyzed fuel oil (PFO) were prepared using solvent extraction and were carbonized. Electrochemical characteristics of lithium battery anode materials were investigated using these petroleum pitches. Three pitch samples prepared by the thermal reaction were 3903 (at $390^{\circ}C$ for 3 h), 4001 (at $400^{\circ}C$ for 1 h) and 4002 (at $400^{\circ}C$ for 2 h). The prepared hexane insoluble pitches were analysed by XRD, TGA, SEM and Gel permeation Chromatography (GPC). The electrochemical characteristics of the PFO-derived pitch as an anode material were investigated by constant current charge/discharge, cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance tests. The coin cell using pitch (4001) and the electrolyte of $LiPF_6$ in organic solvents (EC : DMC = 1 : 1 vol%, VC 3 wt%) has better initial capacity (310 mAh/g) than that of other pitch coin cells. Also, this carbon anode showd a high initial efficiency of 82%, retention rate capability at 2 C/0.1 C of 90% and cycle retention of 85%. It was found that modified pitches improved the cycling and rate capacity performance.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.60 no.3
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• pp.439-445
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• 2022

In this study, Silicon and petroleum pitch were coated on the surface of Si/C fiber manufactured using electrospinning to improve the electrochemical performances. SiO₂/PAN fiber was prepared by electrospinning with TEOS and PAN at various ratios dissolved in DMF. The characteristics of carbonization, reduction, and pitch coating processes were investigated for the optimal process of the pitch coated Si/C fiber anode composite. Anode composite prepared with TEOS/PAN = 4/6 (CR-46) after carbonization and reduction process has a capacity of 657 mAh/g. To improve capacity and stability, Si powder and PFO pitch were coated at the surface of CR-46. When the pitch composition was fixed at 10 wt%, it was found that the capacity increased as the weight ratio of silicon increased, but the stability decreased. The pitch coated Si/C fiber composite with 10 wt% silicon has high capacity of 982.4 mAh/g and capacity retention of 86.1%. In the test to evaluate rate performance, the rate capability was 80.2% (5C/0.1C).