On December 3, Karamay Advanced Energy Technology Innovation Co., Ltd. announced that it has successfully prepared high-quality mesophase pitch using high-aromatic wax oil fractions, a byproduct of ethylene cracking tar through suspended-bed liquid-phase hydrogenation full-conversion technology. Professional testing confirmed that the mesophase pitch content exceeds 90%.
Mesophase pitch is a foundational material for manufacturing carbon fiber. Carbon fibers made from mesophase pitch exhibit high modulus, strength, resistance to deformation and fracture, as well as low thermal expansion coefficient, directional thermal conductivity, and ultra-high-temperature resistance.
Since 2018, the company has conducted research on mesophase pitch. In 2021, it initiated a key R&D project at the autonomous region level. In the second half of 2021, the company established a mesophase pitch experimental platform at the pilot base of the National Clean Energy Laboratory (Preparatory) in Baijiantan District. On December 3, high-quality mesophase pitch was successfully prepared through experiments.
Currently, polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based carbon fibers dominate the domestic market, accounting for approximately 90% of total share. In contrast, the raw materials for pitch-based carbon fibers are byproducts from refining and chemical enterprises-such as catalytic slurry, cracked tar, and coal tar pitch. However, the quality of these raw materials remains unstable due to scaling challenges. Additionally, due to technological monopolies by the U.S. and Japan, China faces difficulties importing high-quality pitch-based carbon fiber materials.
Xinjiang possesses inherent advantages for developing carbon fiber materials. Byproducts from coal and petrochemical production-such as tar and catalytic slurry-serve as premium raw materials for carbon material preparation. If effective components from coal tar and petroleum pitch can be utilized to produce high-quality, high-value carbon materials, it will significantly advance the graded utilization of coal and petrochemical products and extend industrial value chains.
