Siberian Federal University

The effectiveness of the methods for extraction purification from the α1-fraction (substances insoluble in quinoline) of coal tar pitch produced by atmospheric distillation of “PAO Koks” coal tar using aromatic solvents obtained by distillation of coal tar and mixed naphtene-aromatic solvents has been compared. For the production of an electrode binder, it is proposed to use the purification of coal tar pitch by gravitational precipitation of the α1-fraction from a mixed solvent (crude benzene and 5 % mas of formic acid) after extraction treatment at 85 °C. This method allows to produce purified coal tar with an α1-fraction content no more than 3 % mas. For the production of needle coke and carbon fibers it is suggested to use a two-stage method of coal tar purification, including, in the first stage, gravitational precipitation of an α1-fraction from a mixed solvent (crude benzene and 5 % mas of formic acid) after extraction treatment at 85 °C, and at the second stage- additional-purification of pitch by extraction with a mixed solvent (crude benzene and 5 % mas of formic acid) under supercritical conditions at a temperature of 300 °C. This method allows to produce purified coal tar with an α1-fraction content of no more than 0.2 % mas. The feasibility of using formic acid for pitch purification is due to the fact that it is a hydrogen- donating solvent and can be easily produced with a low carbon footprint from cheap renewable plant raw materials. The obtained samples of purified coal pitches were characterized by chemical and elemental analysis, gel penetrating chromatography, IR spectroscopy, H1 NMR spectroscopy