Preparation of mesocarbon microbeads with silicone oil/pitch emulsion

Mesocarbon Microbeads (MCMB) were prepared by heat condensation in the retort with coal tar pitch and silicone oil as the dispersion and heat exchange medium. The influence of silicone oil on the preparation of MCMB was studied by SEM, laser particle size analyzer and XRD. The results showed that silicone oil content had an important influence on the formation of MCMB. After the addition of silicone oil, the spheres with uniform distribution and smooth surface had smaller diameter and better crystallite structure. At the same time, the yield of THFI and surface adhesion between spheres decreased. With increasing silicone oil content, the diameter and crystallite structure of the spheres were hardly changed. The spheres presented better dispersion and the yield increased, while some small particles attached to the surface of MCMB. When the ration of silicon oil/pitch was 3:1, MCMB with uniform size distribution and smooth surface were obtained. D₅₀ of MCMB was 0.82 μm, and the yield of THFI was 8.2%.