PREPARATION OF NITROGEN-CONTAINING PITCHES FROM QUINOLINE AND ISOQUINOLINE BY AID OF ALCL3

Oligomeric pitch syntheses from quinoline and isoquinoline were studied using AlCl3 as a Friedel Craft type catalyst at 280 degrees C and 300 degrees C to obtain N-enriched pitch substances. The yield and analyses of pitch product suggest very different reactivities of the substrates, much lower reactivity and pitch yield, more loss of nitrogen and hydrogen at preparation of isoquinoline pitch (IQP) being definitely noted. The IQP gave less graphitic coke of fine mosaic texture while quinoline pitch (QP) did graphitic coke of flow texture, It is of value to note that the IQP lost less nitrogen during the carbonization than QP, although IQP lost its major nitrogen al its preparation, both cokes from IQP and QP carrying a similar amount of nitrogen atoms after the calcination at 1200 degrees C. Coke from IQP exhibited significant basicity by the calcination up to 900 degrees C, probably reflecting nitrogen atoms at the uncondensed location in the aromatic ring systems of the pitch acid the coke. A higher temperature of up to 1200 degrees C removed the basicity from the coke.