The Development of Sustainable Replacements for Coal Tar Pitch.

Coal Tar Pitch (CTP) is used as a carbonisable/graphitisable binder for carbon electrodes (e.g. for aluminium smelting), graphite electric brushes and current collectors (e.g. for motors and on electric trains), and molten metal-conveying components for the metal industries. CTP, though, is fossil derived and is a toxic chemical under 'sunset' REACH status. Wood Tar Biopitch (WTB), obtained from the distillation of sawdust, shows promise as a safer and renewably-sourced binder. However, currently WTB's conversion yield to carbon is low, it does not impregnate well and it has poor physical properties. This project will work on the next generation of WTB through controlling its component chemistry via distillation, enabling efficient carbonisation via catalysts and nucleating agents (e.g. graphene), modifying its rheology and wetting through safer solvents and surface chemistry of bound particles and improving its properties through the addition of fillers. The resulting materials will be studied using electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, mechanical testing and impedance spectroscopy.

Research Areas: Materials for energy applications, Net-zeo, Sustainability, Carbon Nanotechnology