Chemical Modification of Asphaltene with SEBS as Precursor for Isotropic Pitch‐Based Carbon Fiber

Abstract

A high yield spinnable pitch for isotropic pitch-based carbon fiber was successfully prepared by air oxidation polycondensation of asphaltene with styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene. The effects of reaction temperature and time, added styreneethylene-butylene-styrene amount on the composition and spinning properties of resultant pitches were investigated. The resultant pitch with a concentrated molecular weight distribution of 300-700 Da was prepared at 340°C for 3 h under air blowing with 5% styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene, moreover, its more alkyl structure (mainly methylene), lower apparent viscosity above the softening point, and good spinnability endowed the resultant pitches more prone to oxygen crosslinking during the stabilization process. The average tensile strength of resultant pitch-based carbon fibers was over 800 MPa after carbonization at 1000°C for 10 min. It provided a simple method to adjust the spinnable pitch for pitch-based carbon fiber preparation.

Economic and environmental assessment of asphaltene-derived carbon fiber production

“…Typically, in a melt spinning process, the spinning temperature is kept at 40-60 °C above the softening temperature (∼200 °C) of asphaltene. 56 After extrusion, the green fibers go through an intermediate acid treatment process (40% HNO 3 acid for 5-10 minutes), which helps to avoid fiber fusion in the stabilization unit at elevated temperatures. 57 After acid treatment, the green fibers go through a multi-step oxidative stabilization technique at 250-350 °C for 2-3 hours in air, which leads to extensive oxidation and the formation of oxygen-mediated cross-linked bridges within the fiber microstructures.…”

“…Typically, in a melt spinning process, the spinning temperature is kept at 40–60 °C above the softening temperature (∼200 °C) of asphaltene. 56…”

Development of low-cost electrospun carbon nanofibers using asphaltene precursor

“…The preparation of CFs from asphaltenes is similar to PAN-based CFs manufacturing, which typically involves a series of steps, such as spinning, stabilisation/oxidation, carbonisation, and graphitisation. First investigations focused on assessing the potential of asphaltene from coal tar pitch, with low asphaltene content, as alternative raw materials for producing CFs [33,39].…”

Heavy Oil Residues: Application as a Low-Cost Filler in Polymeric Materials

“…PHMOCs usually give deposits due to their ability to aggregate and associate [15,16] and their high content is regarded as an adverse factor for recovery, transport, and upgrading of oil. On the contrary, PHMOCs can lay the foundation for the preparation of a large number of various valuable materials due to their structural manifold and their potential still not discovered to full extent [17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33].…”

“…Asphaltenes modified with silane derivatives as coatings to obtain superhydrophobic nanomaterials to clean-up oil spills to be applied as an adsorbent in the large-scale removal of petroleum crude oil spills and hydrophobic organic pollutants in marine and aquatic systems [27] and as a novel reinforcing filler in epoxy resin [28]. Asphaltenes modified with styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene (SEBS) as precursor for isotropic pitch-based carbon fiber [29]; with maleic anhydride -for the synthesis of the polystyrene-asphaltene graft copolymer, able to react chemically with paving asphalt components [30]. Asphaltenes modified with acid acquire high ion exchange and adsorption properties [17,[31][32][33].…”