The present disclosure relates to a method of preparing an anisotropic pitch for carbon fiber, and more particularly, to a method of preparing an anisotropic pitch of preparing a pitch having a low softening point by thermally polymerizing heavy oil or residue oil generated in an oil refining process, extracting only a mesogen component, and then heat-treating at a high temperature for a short time. The anisotropic pitch prepared in the present disclosure has advantages of exhibiting the anisotropic content of 100% and controlling the anisotropic content only a simple temperature control as desired and may be used as a precursor of a high value-added carbon material such as carbon fiber and an anode material for a lithium secondary battery.

A method of fabricating carbon fibers includes the steps of: (a) melting asphaltene solids in a sealed vessel; (b) spinning melted asphaltenes to fabricate green fibers; (c) stabilizing the green fibers; (d) carbonizing the stabilized green fibers; and (e) optionally graphitizing carbonized fibers.

A method of fabricating carbon fibers includes the steps of: (a) melting asphaltene solids in a sealed vessel; (b) spinning melted asphaltenes to fabricate green fibers; (c) stabilizing the green fibers; (d) carbonizing the stabilized green fibers; and (e) optionally graphitizing carbonized fibers.

A pitch composition suitable for spinning may comprise: a pitch having a softening point temperature (T.sub.sp) of 400 C. or less, and an oxidation onset temperature (OOT) at least 10 C. below the T.sub.sp at a ramp rate of 10 C./min. A carbon fiber may comprise: a carbon fiber produced from a pitch composition, wherein the pitch composition comprises: a pitch having a softening point temperature (T.sub.sp) of 400 C. or less, and an oxidation onset temperature (OOT) at least 10 C. below the T.sub.sp at a ramp rate of 10 C./min.

Processes are described for producing mesophase pitch. The processes generally comprise providing a feedstock having a T5400 F. (204 C.) and a T951,400 F. (760 C.) and heating the feedstock at a temperature ranging from about 420 C. to about 520 C. to produce a heat treated product including isotropic pitch. Generally, the heating is conducted under conditions sufficient to satisfy the relationship [X*Y]20,000 seconds, wherein X is the equivalent reaction time of the heating, and wherein Y is the bromine number of the feedstock as measured in accordance with ASTM D1159. The processes generally further comprise contacting the isotropic pitch with a solvent having a Solubility Blending number (S.sub.BN) of at least about 10 SU under conditions sufficient to produce a solvent fraction comprising the solvent and an insoluble fraction comprising mesophase pitch, and recovering the mesophase pitch.

Processes are described for producing mesophase pitch. The processes generally comprise providing a feedstock having a T5400 F. (204 C.) and a T951,400 F. (760 C.) and heating the feedstock at a temperature ranging from about 420 C. to about 520 C. to produce a heat treated product including isotropic pitch. Generally, the heating is conducted under conditions sufficient to satisfy the relationship [X*Y]20,000 seconds, wherein X is the equivalent reaction time of the heating, and wherein Y is the bromine number of the feedstock as measured in accordance with ASTM D1159. The processes generally further comprise contacting the isotropic pitch with a solvent having a Solubility Blending number (S.sub.BN) of at least about 10 SU under conditions sufficient to produce a solvent fraction comprising the solvent and an insoluble fraction comprising mesophase pitch, and recovering the mesophase pitch.

A process for making a mesophase pitch may include passing an aromatics-rich feed into a reactor and subjecting the aromatics-rich feed to a temperature of greater than or equal to 350 C. and a pressure of from 20 bar to 40 bar for a duration of from 4 hours to 10 hours in the reactor to produce the mesophase pitch. The total amount of molecular oxygen and peroxides in the reactor may be less than 1 mol. %. The aromatics-rich feed may include at least 80 wt. % aromatics and the aromatics-rich feed may include less than 3 wt. % of a combination of sulfur, nitrogen, and oxygen.

Pitch compositions may be obtained by subjecting one or more crude oils to steam cracking. Processes for producing pitch compositions suitable for spinning into fibers from steam cracking of crude oils may comprise: steam cracking of one or more crude oils in a steam cracking zone to produce a first effluent comprising a heavy oil mixture comprising a steam cracker tar, a second effluent comprising a mixture of gaseous products and liquid products, and a third effluent comprising one or more bottoms products; pretreating and heat treating the first, second and/or third effluent to produce a pitch composition having a mesophase content from 0 vol % to 100 vol %, based on the total volume of the pitch product, an MCR in the range of about 40 wt % to about 95 wt %, and a softening point T.sub.sp in the range of about 50 C. to about 400 C.

Pitch compositions may be obtained by subjecting one or more crude oils to steam cracking. Processes for producing pitch compositions suitable for spinning into fibers from steam cracking of crude oils may comprise: steam cracking of one or more crude oils in a steam cracking zone to produce a first effluent comprising a heavy oil mixture comprising a steam cracker tar, a second effluent comprising a mixture of gaseous products and liquid products, and a third effluent comprising one or more bottoms products; pretreating and heat treating the first, second and/or third effluent to produce a pitch composition having a mesophase content from 0 vol % to 100 vol %, based on the total volume of the pitch product, an MCR in the range of about 40 wt % to about 95 wt %, and a softening point T.sub.sp in the range of about 50 C. to about 400 C.