Production of Carbon Fiber from Coal-Derived Pitch

Scope of Work: UKY – UUT Pitch based carbon fiber Objective: Efforts at the University of Utah will focus on the initial stages of coal conversion to coke and overhead products, with further upgrading/processing of the material to produce a coal pitch suitable for direct use in the UKY facility. We anticipate that this process will be iterative in nature, in that we will wish to attempt multiple processing variants in an attempt to optimize the ultimate carbon fiber properties. As discussed, UT is interested in partnering with UKY to pursue funding from the UT regional federal Energy Development Agency office to explore the manufacture of carbon fiber from coal pitch. As we develop our scope and program budget, it would be most helpful if you could put a budget estimate for the following tasks to be completed by your team at the Center for Applied Energy Research at the University of Kentucky: 1.Task 1 a. Pitch grinding b. DMA TSP analysis c. TGA Coke Yield 2.Task 2 - Green fiber spinning (melt spinning) 3.Task 3 - Oxidation (w/o melting) - temperature as function of time (in air) 4.Task 4 - Carbonization - high temperature treatment (inert) 5.Task 5 - Fiber characterization a. Tensile – SEM b. Density (linear) c. XRD, CHNS analyses Schedule: We anticipate a program of 36 months for this initial, proof-of-concept effort, which will provide an opportunity for several iterations of the coal-to-fiber process.