Oxidation of Coal Pitch by H2O2 under Mild Conditions

In order to expand the application of coal pitch, the H2O2 oxidation of coal pitch was employed to obtain some small molecular oxygen-containing aromatic compounds and to increase high-value-added products of coal pitch. The optimum oxidation conditions were determined by the oxygen conversion rate. The oxidation products were investigated with FTIR spectroscopy and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) method. The results show that the coal pitch had been oxidized and depolymerized by H2O2 under mild conditions. The oxygen conversion rate was 59.06% at optimum condition of 60 °C, 6 h. The small molecular oxygen-containing aromatic compounds derived from this H2O2 oxidation are mainly grouped into alkanoic acids (AAs), aliphatic carboxylic acids (APCAs), benzene polycarboxylic acids (BPCAs), and a small amount of alkylbenzenes (ABs). Finally, the oxidation process of coal pitch by H2O2 is speculated.