Abstract: Disclosed herein is curled or uncurled composite carbon fiber which comprises part of optically isotropic carbon fiber and balance of optically anisotropic one and a process for preparing the same. The composite carbon fiber possesses the excellent characteristics by complementing the respective defects by means of the respective characteristics of the both kinds of the carbon fiber.

Abstract: A graphite structure, which is of light weight and excellent elasticity and has a packing density of 0.5 g/cm.sup.3 or lower and a recovery of 50% or higher at a compressibility of 10 to 90%, is obtained by treating a carbonaceous material with nitric acid or a mixture of nitric and sulfuric acids and, then, heat-treating the obtained product at a temperature of 2,400.degree. C. or higher to graphitize the same.

Abstract: When preparing carbon fibers from mesophase pitches, we usually encounter to the formation of cracks along the fiber axis. The crack formation is the most serious and troublesome problem. A simple process which can effectively prevent the crack formation comprises preparing the carbon fibers from mesophase pitches by melt spinning sufficient only to give a rotatory motion to the molten mesophase pitches just before extrusion substantially around the axis of a spinning nozzle hole. The process employs a usual nozzle plate having a pitch introducing tube and a spinning nozzle hole further containing a plug member having an outer spiral groove such as a drill point or a worm gear which is inserted within the pitch introducing tube.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for the preparation of a pitch spinnable into pitch filaments as a precursor of carbon fibers starting from a pitch material such as coal tar and coal tar pitch. Different from the conventional procedure involving hydrogenation of the starting pitch, the starting pitch in the inventive method is first heated together with an aromatic oil, preferably, in the presence of a cracking catalyst such as silica-alumina and zeolite at 350.degree. to 500.degree. C. for 10 to 60 minutes under no pressurization with hydrogen and, after removal of insoluble materials, then heated at a temperature of 430.degree. to 600.degree. C. The thus obtained pitch for spinning has good spinnability and the carbon fibers prepared from the pitch have a unique microscopic structure and excellent physical properties exceeding by far the conventional pitch-based carbon fibers and approximating the HP-grade carbon fibers prepared from polyacrylonitrile fibers.

Abstract: The invention provides carbon fibers having mechanical properties equival to or even better than those of the polyacrylonitrile-based carbon fibers from a bituminous material, e.g. coal tar pitch, as the starting material. The starting pitch is first partially hydrogenated in tetrahydroquinoline under specific conditions followed by a heat treatment to give a pitch composition suitable for spinning which can be characterized by several parameters including the proportions of the carbons and hydrogens having different chemical shifts in the NMR analysis. The pitch composition for spinning is then subjected to spinning under specific conditions including the temperature condition for controlling the viscosity behavior of the molten pitch composition determined by use of the Andrade's equation and the pitch filament is then infusibilized in an oxidative atmosphere and carbonized in an inert atmosphere into carbon fibers having a tensile strength of at least 200 kg/mm.sup.

Abstract: An ashless liquid fuel of good quality is produced by mixing powdery coal with a pitch having a C/H ratio of from 0.90 to 1.20 in an amount of at least 50 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the powdery coal, subjecting the mixture to a heat treatment conducted at from 400.degree. to 450.degree. C. and thereafter, removing a solid coagulated material formed in the treated product. The pitch having an atomic ratio C/H in the range from 0.90 to 1.20 is obtained by the heat treatment of a residual oil in the distillation of crude oils.

Abstract: A process for the production of shaped articles of high density graphite ing excellent mold-releasing property which comprises incorporating amorphous carbon powder such as powdery coke or artificial graphite powder with about 3-20% by weight of boric acid or boron oxide as a sintering-promoting agent, and baking the mixture under a pressure of 150-500 kg/cm.sup.2 without the aid of a binding agent such as pitch. Shaped articles of high density graphite possessing excellent mechanical strength are obtained by this process.

Abstract: A process for liquefying coal to produce liquid fuel and pitch-like substes suitable as starting materials for various carbonaceous materials, which process comprises incorporating powdery coal with a heavy oil of petroleum series having a high carbon content of at least 0.9 in terms of the atomic ratio C/H in an amount of at least 50 parts by weight per 100 parts of the powdery coal, subjecting the mixture to a heat treatment conducted at 320.degree.-400.degree. C for 0.5-10 hours thereby liquefying the coal.

Abstract: Micro-beads having a carbonaceous structure are produced by a process comsing heating pitch at about 350-500.degree.C to form optically anisotropic spherules, extracting the resulting spherules with an organic solvent to remove substantially all remaining pitch therefrom, and then carbonizing the pitch-free spherules in a non-oxidizing atmosphere. The optically anisotropic micro-beads substantially free of pitch can be shaped to a desired form and then carbonized to produce a shaped carbonaceous structure. If the carbonizing temperature is above about 1500.degree.C, a graphite crystalline structure results.