	US 12,152,198 B2
	Mesophase pitch for carbon fiber production using supercritical carbon dioxide
Benjamin L. Goodrich, Marysville, WA (US); Pyoungchung Kim, Bothell, WA (US); Matthew Targett, Bainbridge Island, WA (US); and Joshua C. Walter, Kirkland, WA (US)
Assigned to TerraPower, LLC, Bellevue, WA (US)
Filed by TerraPower, LLC, Bellevue, WA (US)
Filed on Aug. 8, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/446,298.
Application 18/446,298 is a continuation of application No. 17/874,832, filed on Jul. 27, 2022, granted, now 11,725,146.
Application 17/874,832 is a continuation of application No. 16/532,334, filed on Aug. 5, 2019, granted, now 11,434,429, issued on Sep. 6, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/820,162, filed on Mar. 18, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2023/0383189 A1, Nov. 30, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. C10C 3/08 (2006.01); C01B 32/05 (2017.01); D01F 9/15 (2006.01)

CPC C10C 3/08 (2013.01) [C01B 32/05 (2017.08); D01F 9/15 (2013.01)]

20 Claims

1. A method of manufacturing carbon fibers comprising:

contacting a coal derivative with a supercritical fluid solvent and first co-solvent mixture, thereby removing at least some soluble components from the coal derivative to obtain an insoluble coal derivative fraction;

after contacting the coal derivative with the supercritical fluid solvent and the first co-solvent mixture, separating the supercritical fluid solvent and first co-solvent mixture from the insoluble coal derivative fraction;

after separating the supercritical fluid solvent and first co-solvent mixture from the insoluble coal derivative fraction, mixing the insoluble coal derivative fraction with a supercritical fluid to obtain a supercritical fluid/insoluble fraction mixture; and

after mixing the insoluble coal derivative fraction with the supercritical fluid, separating the supercritical fluid from the insoluble fraction to obtain the carbon fibers.