Neng Technology Innovation breakthrough high quality mesophase asphalt preparation technology achievements or extend to carbon fiber industry chain

On December 3, Karamay Advanced Energy Technology Innovation Co., LTD. (hereinafter referred to as "First Energy Technology Innovation") announced that high quality meso-phase asphalt was successfully prepared by using high aromatic paraffin oil distillate as a by-product of liquid phase hydrogenation of the suspended bed of ethylene cracking tar as raw material. The meso-phase asphalt content was more than 90% tested by professional organizations.

Mesophase asphalt is the basic material for making carbon fiber. Carbon fiber made from mesophase asphalt has high modulus and strength, and is not easy to deformation and fracture. In addition, it also has the characteristics of low coefficient of thermal expansion, directional thermal conductivity and high temperature resistance.

In the second half of 2021, the mesophase asphalt test platform was built in the pilot test base of the National Laboratory of Clean Energy in Baijitan District. On December 3, high-quality mesophase asphalt was prepared through the experiment.

Liu Hongbo, project manager of NENG Technology Innovation, said: "At present, the mainstream domestic polyacrylonitrile based carbon fiber, accounting for about 90% of the total market share, while the basic raw materials of asphalt based carbon fiber come from the by-products of refining and chemical enterprises -- catalytic oil slurry, cracking tar, coal tar pitch, etc., due to the scale of the problem, the quality of raw materials obtained is very unstable. It is also difficult for China to import high-quality asphalt-based carbon fibers due to the technological monopoly of the United States and Japan."

"Our raw materials are obtained from Dushanzi Petrochemical Company of China Petroleum Natural Gas Co., LTD. The ethylene cracking tar produced by the company in the refining process. After collecting the residual oil, we use the liquid phase hydrogenation technology in suspension bed for full conversion, and take the wax fraction with up to 100% aromatics content in the product, to prepare the medium-phase asphalt with stable quality. "Mr. Liu said.

The company plans to scale up the technology in 2022 and build a 50-ton/year mesophase asphalt pilot plant.

Pan Lei, general manager of NENG Technology Innovation, believes that Xinjiang has the prerequisite advantage of developing carbon fiber materials. Tar and catalytic oil pulp, which are by-products in coal chemical and petrochemical production, are raw materials for preparing carbon materials. If the effective components in coal tar and petroleum asphalt can be used to prepare high-quality and high-value carbon materials, and the quality and rank utilization of coal chemical and petrochemical products can be achieved. Extending the industrial chain is of great significance.