Abstract
We have recently presented a new coal fractionation method that utilizes solvent extraction at different temperatures lower than 350℃. This method can separate coal into several fractions having different molecular mass compounds without decomposing the coal. Since it is very important to examine the melting and plastic behavior of the fractions during heating for their effective utilization, thermomechanical analysis was carried out in this study. All the fractions obtained at fractionation temperatures lower than 350℃ from a caking coal melted during heating, whereas only the fractions obtained at fractionation temperatures lower than 150℃ melted for a slightly-caking coal. The temperature at which a minimum apparent viscosity was reached increased with the increase of fractionation temperature. These results suggest that the slightly-caking coal doesn't melt due to lack of the fraction that melts at higher temperature. However, we could obtain fractions from a slightly-caking coal whose melting and plastic behavior is very close to that of synthesized naphthalene-based pitch, so we may be able to use such fractions obtained from cheaper coal as a source of carbon materials.
