Abstract
The properties of coal tar pitches have changed more in the last eight years than in the previous 40. Over the same period of time, the understanding of the influence of these properties on anodes has increased greatly. The definition of a good-quality pitch for the manufacture of anodes for the primary aluminum industry has changed radically. Pitches that would have been rejected 15 years ago are now preferred and are in high demand. Changes have been led in equal proportion by the pitch producers and by the primary aluminum industry. The increased pace of change will continue as the quest for higher performance is unending. Further advances will be achieved through closer cooperation between producer and user to define and redefine pitch quality in terms of what is the best compromise between what the customer wants and what the producer can practicably manufacture.
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Turner, N.R. Recent trends in binder pitches for reduction anodes. JOM 45, 39–42 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03222487
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03222487