Co‑carbonization of coal tar pitch and brominated industrial methylnaphthalene for the production of isotropic pitch-based carbon fibers with enhanced tensile strength

The co‑carbonization of refined coal tar pitch (RCTP) and brominated industrial methyl naphthalene (BIMNP) employing benzoyl chloride (BC) as a catalyst has been explored to create an isotropic spinnable pitch for carbon fibers with notable tensile strength. BIMNP is derived from industrial methyl naphthalene (IMNP) via photo-bromination assisted by visible light using N-bromosuccinimide (NBS) as a brominating agent. This research investigates the impact of the mass ratio of RCTP and BIMNP on the composition, molecular structure, and thermophysical characteristics of the co‑carbonized pitch. A tentative elucidation of the co‑carbonization mechanism involving RCTP, BIMNP, and BC is presented. Adjusting the NBS-to-IMNP mass ratio leads to the complete conversion of 1-methylnaphthalene (1-MNP) and 2-methylnaphthalene (2-MNP) in IMNP into 1-bromomethylnaphthalene (1-BMNP) and 2-bromomethylnaphthalene (2-BMNP), respectively. The co‑carbonized pitch exhibits enhanced pitch production, increased thermal stability, and improved spinnability compared to pitch synthesized via thermal polycondensation. The resulting carbon fibers experience a rise in tensile strength by 947 MPa and an increase in Young's modulus by 41.3 GPa as BIMNP content varies from 10% to 30%. Using BIMNP as a co‑carbonization agent offers a promising avenue for producing pitch-based carbon fibers meeting automotive industry requirements. [Display omitted] •Industrial methylnaphthalene was selectively brominated by N-bromosuccinimide under visible light irradiation.•Isotropic pitches were synthesized by co-carbonization of coal tar pitch and brominated industrial methylnaphthalene.•The co-carbonized pitch exhibits an increased pitch yield and enhanced polycondensation degree.•The structure of methylene-bridged aromatic rings enhances the spinnability of the co-carbonized pitch.•The prepared carbon fibers exhibit a tensile strength of 2283 MPa and a Young's modulus of 94.3 GPa.