Specifications for Basetrade Global’s CTP can be supplied on request.

When coal is heated in an oxygen-deficient atmosphere in coke ovens at high temperatures of around 1100°C, volatile matter is driven from it. Before carbonization, selected coals are blended, pulverized, and oiled for proper bulk density control. The blended coal is charged into a number of ovens each of which shares a common heating flue with its adjacent oven. Coal is carbonized in a reducing atmosphere and the off-gas is collected and sent to the by-product plant where coke oven gas and subsequently coal tars are gathered.

Coal Tar Pitch is a solid at room temperature, exhibiting a broad softening range instead of a defined melting temperature. These properties make it a useful binding agent for combining with calcined petroleum coke (CTP) in pre-baked anodes. These anodes are used during the electrolysis of alumina as part of aluminium smelting processes as shown below. In an electrolyzed environment illustrated above, liquid electrolyte (3) is heated between positively charged pre-baked CPC-CTP anodes (1) and negatively charged carbon cathodes encased in steel (2). Fluorinated alumina (4) is added to the heated liquid electrolyte. When an electric current is passed between the pre-baked anodes (1) and the steel-encased cathodes (2) it causes the anodes to release their carbon content. That carbon combines with the oxygen in alumina to form carbon dioxide (CO₂). Molten aluminium remains (5), after CO₂ is created, which collects at the bottom of the cell, Al₂O₃ → 6Al + 3CO₂.

Over 400kg of carbon is consumed per tonne of aluminium output. Basetrade can guarantee reliable high-quality, high-volume supplies of CTP to meet the needs of industrial aluminium producers worldwide. Basetrade Global’s coal tar pitch grades are processed specially at high temperature by controlled distillation, using state-of-the-art technology.