A Study on the Possibility of Bulk Graphite Manufacturing using Coal Tar as a Binder and an Impregnant

Abstract

This paper studied the possibility of manufacturing bulk graphite using coal tar, a precursor of coal tar pitch, as a binder and impregnant. Carbonization was conducted after mixing and molding with natural graphite as a filler and coal tar as a binder. Impregnation-recarbonization was performed five times after carbonization. Coal tar used as impregnant. Measuring density, porosity, compressive strength, and anisotropy ratio was conducted. The maximum density of bulk graphite specimen was 1.76 g/cm(3) and the minimum porosity was 15.6% which could be controlled by process control. The highest compressive strength was 20.3MPa. Then the maximum anisotropic ratio of bulk was shown 0.34 through XRD analysis. Therefore, it was confirmed that it was possible to manufacture artificial graphite in a bulk form by using coal tar as a binder and an impregnant.