SETT ATT FRAMSTELLA KOLFIBRER FRAN MESOFASBECK

An improved process for producing carbon fibers from pitch which has been transformed, in part, to a liquid crystal or so-called "mesophase" state. According to the process, carbon fibers are produced from pitch wherein the mesophase content of the pitch has been formed while agitating the pitch so as to produce a homogeneous emulsion of the immiscible mesophase and non-mesophase portions of the pitch. Mesophase pitches prepared in this manner have been found to possess a lesser amount of high molecular weight molecules in the mesophase portion of the pitch and a lesser amount of low molecular weight molecules in the non-mesophase portion of the pitch, and thus a smaller differential between the average molecular weights of the mesophase and non-mesophase portions of the pitch, than mesophase pitches having the same mesophase content which have been prepared in the absence of such agitation.