Abstract: A method for producing activated carbon for electrodes of electric double layer capacitors is disclosed which comprises an activation step wherein activated carbon is obtained by mixing an alkali metal hydroxide with a carbon raw material for the activated carbon and heating the mixture in an inert gas atmosphere, a deactivation removal step wherein the alkali metal in the activated carbon is deactivated and removed, and a heat treatment step wherein the activated carbon having gone through the deactivation removal step is heated in an inert gas atmosphere at a temperature higher than 400° C. but not higher than the heating temperature in the activation step.

Abstract: A method for producing activated carbon for electrodes of electric double layer capacitors is disclosed which comprises an activation step wherein activated carbon is obtained by mixing an alkali metal hydroxide with a carbon raw material for the activated carbon and heating the mixture in an inert gas atmosphere, a deactivation removal step wherein the alkali metal in the activated carbon is deactivated and removed, and a heat treatment step wherein the activated carbon having gone through the deactivation removal step is heated in an inert gas atmosphere at a temperature higher than 400° C. but not higher than the heating temperature in the activation step.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a carbon fiber bundle includes a regular coil-shaped fiber bundle and having excellent stretch characteristic. A process for producing a coil-shaped carbon fiber bundle according to the present invention includes the steps of compositing at least two kind of pitches to spin them as single fibers, bundling the thus spun single fibers to form a fiber bundle, then infusibilizing the resulting fiber bundler under tension and carbonizing the fiber bundle.

Abstract: A method for producing pitch-type carbon fiber, comprising the steps of discharging, from a spinning nozzle, a spinning pitch comprising an optically isotropic pitch and/or optically anisotropic pitch, maintained at such a temperature that the spinning pitch can have a viscosity of 20 poises or less, to form pitch fiber, while jetting a gas preheated to a temperature of 100.degree. C. lower than the temperature at which the spinning pitch can have a viscosity of 20 poises or less, or higher from the periphery of the spinning nozzle in the same direction as the discharging direction of the spinning pitch and parallel to the discharged pitch fiber to give extremely fine fiber having an average diameter of 5 .mu.m or less, and subjecting the thus spun fine fiber to infusibilization and carbonization.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a carbon fiber bundle comprising a regular coil-shaped fiber bundle and having excellent stretch characteristic. A process for producing a coil-shaped carbon fiber bundle according to the present invention comprises the steps of compositing at least two kind of pitches to spin them as single fibers, bundling the thus spun single fibers to form a fiber bundle, then infusibilizing the resulting fiber bundle under tension and carbonizing the fiber bundle.

Abstract: A heavy oil such as an atmospheric pressure residue, a reduced pressure residue of petroleum, etc. is heated to 400.degree. to 500.degree. C. to carry out polycondensation and provide a pitch containing mesophase microspheres. This pitch is once cooled to 200.degree. to 400.degree. C. and a turbulent flow is imparted thereto to cause agglomeration of the mesophase microspheres. The resulting agglomerates are separated to obtain a crystallizable material enriched with quinoline insolubles. Production of the crystallizable material is preferably conducted in a separation tank accommodating the lower part of a heating polycondensation reactor (6) and having a stirring device (12).

Abstract: Bulk mesophase can be economically produced without coking trouble from a heavy oil in an apparatus comprising: a heat-treatment vessel for heat treating the oil thereby to form pitch containing mesophase microspheres; a cyclone-type separator installed directly below the vessel and operating to cause the mesophase microspheres within the pitch introduced into the separator to coalesce thereby to separate the mesophase microspheres from the matrix pitch; and ascent and descent pipes communicatively connecting the interiors of the vessel and the separator, the ascent pipe returning matrix pitch after removal of the mesophase microspheres into the vessel together with newly supplied oil, which drives the matrix pitch by jet-pump action, the descent pipe introducing the pitch with mesophase microsphere into the top part of the separator in a horizontal tangential direction to produce a cyclone separation action therein.

Abstract: A heavy oil such as an atmospheric pressure residue, a reduced pressure residue of petroleum, etc. is heated to 400.degree. to 500.degree. C. to carry out polycondensation and provide a pitch containing mesophase microspheres. This pitch is once cooled to 200.degree. to 400.degree. C. and a turbulent flow is imparted thereto to cause agglomeration of the mesophase microspheres. The resulting agglomerates are separated to obtain a crystallizable material enriched with quinoline insolubles. Production of the crystallizable material is preferably conducted in a separation tank accommodating the lower part of a heating polycondensation reactor (6) and having a stirring device (12).

Abstract: Mesocarbon microbeads of narrow particle-size distribution are produced by: subjecting a heavy oil to a primary heat treatment at a temperature T.sub.1 to prepare a pitch containing mesophase microspheres; once cooling this pitch to a temperature lower than its softening point; thereafter subjecting the pitch to a secondary heat treatment at a temperature T.sub.2, which is higher than 350.degree. C. and lower than (T.sub.1 -40.degree. C.); cooling the pitch at a cool rate lower than 200.degree. C./hour; separating from the pitch mesophase microspheres which precipitated in the secondary heat-treatment step; and thereafter obtaining by solvent extraction mesophase microspheres of substantially uniform particle size formed in the residual pitch. The mesocarbon beads of narrow particle-size distribution thus obtained are particularly suitable for use as chromatograph packing material, catalyst support, and other uses.

Abstract: Mesocarbon microbeads are continuously produced by the steps of: (1) mixing a matrix pitch, mesophase microspheres, and a solvent in which the pitch will dissolve but the microspheres will not, thereby to prepare a liquid mixture of a solution and dispersion; (2) processing the mixture in at least two stages of liquid cyclones, thereby to separate it into light and medium-weight liquids and a heavy liquid containing most of the microspheres; and (3) evaporating off the solvent from the heavy liquid thus obtained, thereby to obtain the microspheres as mesocarbon microbeads. The solvent is evaporated off from the light liquid to recover the pitch, and the medium-weight liquid is recycled to step (1) and (2).