Enhanced Thermal Polycondensation of Heavy Coal Tar to Mesophase Pitch via Polyethylene Modification

Mesophase pitch (MP) is a high-performance precursor for carbon materials. However, its conventional preparation process is limited by stringent conditions and high costs. In this study, heavy coal tar (HCT) was used as a low-cost carbon source, and polyethylene (PE) was introduced as a modifier to induce MP formation under relatively mild conditions, thereby promoting the thermal polycondensation of HCT. Characterization results show that the addition of different types of PE facilitates the co