Thermal polycondensation of anthracene for carbon precursors

Abstract

This work is concerned with the conversion of anthracene into products with potential applications in carbon technology. The anthracene was obtained from industrial anthracene by crystallization in raw pyridine and was subjected to thermal polycondensation under pressure with various time exposures at the final temperature at 420 °C. The proposed thermal treatment induces polymerization/polycondensation reactions, and the extent of conversion was monitored from the carbon residue by thermogravimetric analysis, heptane and toluene insolubles and Raman spectroscopy. The ability of mesophase formation from obtained polycondensates was also studied. Besides thermogravimetric analysis and Raman spectroscopy, the optical microscopy was also used to determine the presence of optically anisotropic texture. The thermal polycondensation under pressure and time exposure of 48 and 72 h at 420 °C is suggested to be the most promising method for preparing the mesophase pitches of good optical texture. The results indicate that thermal polycondensation of anthracene obtained from industrial anthracene oil could be suitable process for the conversion of anthracene into carbon precursors with potential industrial utilization.