Pitch derived graphene oxides: Characterization and effect on pyrolysis and carbonization of coal tar pitch

Abstract

In this work, the coal tar pitch (CTP) is modified by the pitch derived graphene oxide (pGO) prepared from the same CTP using ZnO template and in-situ KOH activation technique. The results indicate that the prepared pGO has the oxygen-containing functional groups with a high specific surface area up to 1937 m2/g. The mass ratio of ZnO to pitch is crucial to adjust the surface area of pGO. The pGO modified CTP have more condensed structures of pyrolysis products with increased structural regularity. This is also paralleled with enhanced microstructure development of mesophase spheres and their transforming into more orderly lamellar structure, due to the increased surface area and active role of the pGO additions. Such structure changes and reduced weight loss in pyrolysis and carbonization are beneficial for improving coke yield of CTP. The result reported is of great significance for exploring potential high value utilization of CTP.