Process for the production of carbonaceous pitch

Abstract

A continuous process for the production of carbonaceous pitch, including heat-treating an aromatic heavy oil in a first thermal cracking zone for obtaining a first cracked product, and introducing the first cracked product into a second thermal cracking zone where it is thermally cracked by direct contact with a gaseous heat transfer medium to form distillable cracked components and a mesophase-containing pitch. The liquid phase in the second thermal cracking zone, including the mesophase-containing pitch, is discharged therefrom and separated into a mesophase-rich pitch and a matrix pitch having a low concentration of mesophase. The mesophase-rich pitch is recovered while at least a portion of the matrix pitch is recycled to the second thermal cracking zone. The distillable cracked components are stripped from the liquid phase in the second thermal cracking zone with the heat transfer medium, and the resulting gas phase is withdrawn overhead therefrom and then separated into a light fraction and a heavy fraction. The heavy fraction is fed to the first thermal cracking zone.