Formation of Mesophase Using Precursors from Shale Oil

The delayed coking process on a laboratory scale of vacuum distillate bottoms of a retorted shale oil from the Green River Formation of oil shale was studied so that these carbon sources could be used for manufactured graphite. The bottoms were refluxed under nitrogen at 285-degrees-C for 5, 25, and 74 h. The samples were pyrolyzed under nitrogen with heating rates of 13-degrees-C/h to 360-degrees-C and 5-degrees-C/h to 465-degrees-C at atmospheric pressure. Afterward, the residues were examined using polarized light microscopy for observing conditions. The samples were investigated using different analytical techniques (H-NMR)-H-1, IR, VPO, and GC) to determine the changes that were occurring with the thermal treatment. However, contrary to other precursors, proton NMR and IR studies revealed that the naphthenics are most likely responsible for mesophase formation during carbonization. Gas chromatography of the samples indicates the existence of certain branched compounds that disappear with heat treatment. The presence of isocompounds acted to suppress graphitization. This process can be extended to other nongraphitizing source materials for manufactured graphite.