A method is disclosed for making a slurry catalyst concentrate. The method includes reducing an average particle size of a first hydrotreating catalyst component to produce a reduced hydrotreating catalyst component having a reduced average particle size, wherein first hydrotreating catalyst component comprises one or more active metal components selected from Group VIB, Group VIII, and Group II metals; and mixing the reduced hydrotreating catalyst with a renewable liquid carrier composition in a mixing vessel to provide a slurry catalyst concentrate comprising 1 to 60 wt. % of the reduced hydrotreating catalyst component in the renewable liquid carrier composition.

A method is disclosed for preparing a slurry catalyst for use in upgrading a renewable feedstock. The method includes the steps of (a) providing a rework material obtained from a process of making a supported hydroprocessing catalyst, the hydroprocessing catalyst comprising a support and an active component supported thereon, wherein the rework material has an average particle size of from 1 to 300 m; (b) mixing the rework material with a liquid component to form a slurry catalyst precursor, wherein the liquid component is selected from the renewable feedstock and a liquid carrier, wherein the liquid carrier is a polyol and/or a recycled renewable feedstock comprising heavy and/or unconverted fractions from a slurry hydroprocessing process; and (c) sulfiding the slurry catalyst precursor forming the slurry catalyst.

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.

A process for producing mesophase pitch includes charging a mixture of a carrier gas and a hydrocarbon feed including isotropic pitch to a reactor operating at thermal operating conditions sufficient to induce conversion of at least one chosen from the hydrocarbon feed and the isotropic pitch to mesophase pitch such that the mixture of the hydrocarbon feed and the carrier gas establishes a stratified flow regime having a vapor phase and a liquid phase in the reactor. The process also includes maintaining thermal operating conditions in the reactor while the mixture of the hydrocarbon feed and the carrier gas is flowing in the stratified flow regime in the reactor such that conversion of the at least one chosen from the hydrocarbon feed and the isotropic pitch to mesophase pitch is induced in the liquid phase. The process further includes discharging an effluent including mesophase pitch from the reactor.

A pitch-based graphite composite material, a preparation method therefor and an application thereof are provided. The graphite is coated with pitch gel spheres, and a core-shell composite structure of pitch carbon microsphere coated graphite is obtained through pyrolysis and carbonization, so that the contact between a graphite surface and an electrolyte can be effectively reduced, a stable SEI film can be generated, and the SEI film has good rate and cycle performance. In addition, a porous structure formed by gas generated by pyrolysis and carbonization is beneficial to the transportation of lithium ions, the conductivity and reversible capacity of the material can be significantly improved, the material is more stable in the charging and discharging processes of the lithium-ion battery, the risks of stripping and cracking are effectively reduced, and the cycle stability and the rate capability of the battery are improved.

Methods of processing a coal-based feedstock to a high value product are provided. In one embodiment a method of processing a coal-based feedstock to a high value product, the method comprises the steps of: contacting the coal-based feedstock with one or more solvents under non-pyrolytic conditions thereby generating a liquid phase; and fractionating the liquid phase to generate at least two fractions under conditions such that at least one of the fractions is the high value product. The liquid phase may comprise 5 to 25 wt % oxygen and at least 70% of the oxygen in the liquid phase may be in the form of phenolic, carboxylic and ketone functional groups of hydrocarbon-based compounds.

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.

Methods of valorization of lignocellulosic feedstocks via bio-solvents to produce asphalt products are provided. In one embodiment, a method of valorizing a lignocellulosic feedstock includes: providing a lignocellulosic feedstock; contacting the lignocellulosic feedstock with a bio-solvent at a temperature selected from the range of 120 C. to 450 C., thereby generating a liquid phase and a residue, the residue being an insoluble solid; distilling the liquid phase, thereby generating a distillate and a product; and producing an asphalt binder material, wherein the asphalt binder material comprises the product.