Production and Analysis of Mesophase Pitch: A Review

Applications of mesophase or anisotropic pitch include the production of anisotropic carbon fibers, needle coke, and construction materials. Research on the production of mesophase pitch is reviewed in the present work. Its production by heat treatment of coal tar pitch, synthetic pitch, and petroleum pitch is outlined. Physicochemical methods of identifying and investigating the mesophase structure of pitch are considered.