Abstract:
A study was conducted on four commercial Waxy Oil green cokes with varying catalyst (Fe3O4) concentrations
(ash content: 1.84–11.18%), to determine the effect thereof on the structural characteristics of
calcined (1400 C) and pre-graphitised (2000 C) cokes. An increase in the catalyst content of the coke
shows a substantial detrimental effect on the overall anisotropy of the carbon microtexture. Catalyst particles
below 100 lm) were found to present a physical barrier around which the anisotropic flow domains
formed. At higher catalyst concentrations the catalyst dominates the carbon microtexture; however,
there is still evidence of flow patterns albeit with a shorter range. XRD powder data and Raman
spectroscopy provide evidence of multiphase graphitisation in both the calcined coke and pre-graphite.
The crystal development of the calcined coke is dominated by catalytic graphitisation and that of the pregraphite
showed a greater dependence on thermal graphitisation. This is the first scientific study of the
effect of catalyst concentration on the characteristics of this novel coke and proves the disingenuous
comparability thereof with a highly anisotropic coke (e.g. needle coke).
