Coal Tar Pitch (Aluminium Anode Binder, Electrode Binder & Impregnating Pitch)

Binder and impregnating pitch by Mettler softening point, QI, TI and coking value, liquid or solid

Coal tar pitch is the residue left when a distiller takes the oils out of high-temperature coal tar: it holds the non-volatile and low-volatile part of the tar, and its average yield is around 2% of the coking coal charged to the ovens. Customs declare it under HS 2708.10, pitch obtained from coal tar or other mineral tars, with pitch coke under 2708.20. A pitch lot is bought on four numbers. Softening point is taken by the Mettler method (ASTM D3104): aluminium binder pitch sits around 110-115 °C, graphite electrode binder grades are offered from about 87 °C to 110 °C, and impregnating pitch sits around 90-95 °C. Quinoline insolubles (QI, ASTM D2318), the solids in the pitch, run about 8-12% in binder grades and below 3% in impregnating pitch. Toluene insolubles (TI, ASTM D4072) run about 28-32% in aluminium binder pitch, and coking value (modified Conradson, ASTM D2416) is 55% or more. The typical coal tar binder pitch described in US patent 5,746,906 reads 111.3 °C softening point, 28.1% TI, 11.9% QI, 55.7% coking value, 0.21% ash, 0.6% sulphur and a specific gravity of 1.33, and one Indian distiller publishes its aluminium binder pitch at 112-115 °C, QI 8-10%, TI 28-32% and a coking value of at least 55%. Binder pitch goes into anodes for aluminium smelting and into electrodes for electric arc furnaces; impregnating pitch is used to raise the density and conductivity of graphite. UN Comtrade 2024 export declarations under HS 2708.10 total USD 968 million and about 1.13 million MT across 32 reporters: China USD 460 million and 596,600 MT (47.5%), Belgium USD 176 million and 195,300 MT, India USD 89 million and 123,500 MT, Canada USD 80 million, Taiwan USD 44 million and 52,900 MT, Poland USD 36.5 million, Korea USD 28.9 million and 35,000 MT, the USA USD 22.9 million, Czechia USD 18.4 million and Japan USD 2.0 million. Those are declared export values, not offers.

The buyer is the carbon plant of an aluminium smelter, a graphite electrode or carbon products maker, or a refractory producer, and the offer states the grade, softening point window, QI, TI, coking value and delivery form. Liquid pitch travels hot. Chapter 17 of the IBC Code lists coal tar pitch (molten) as a MARPOL Annex II cargo at pollution category X, ship type 2, and US patent 4,744,321 for carrying pitch by sea describes insulated tanks with thermal-oil heaters, filled at 180-300 °C and preferably 220-260 °C. Solid pitch is extruded into small rods, sold as pencil pitch, and moves in bulk. The hazard is the PAH content: the patent binder pitch above carries a benzo[a]pyrene equivalent of 27,500 ppm, IARC classifies coal-tar pitch and benzo[a]pyrene as carcinogenic to humans (Group 1), OSHA limits coal tar pitch volatiles to 0.2 mg/m³ as the benzene-soluble fraction, and NIOSH recommends 0.1 mg/m³. In the EU, pitch, coal tar, high-temp. has been on the REACH Candidate List of substances of very high concern since January 2010, and ECHA recommended it for the Authorisation List in 2014, so the EU importer confirms its current authorisation status alongside its REACH registration. CBIL is a commodity brokerage company and brokers binder and impregnating pitch from distillers in China, India, Belgium, Poland, Czechia, Korea, Taiwan, Canada, the USA and Japan, against the distiller named on the certificate of analysis, SGS or Intertek sampling at load, a certificate of origin and the safety data sheet, on FOB, CFR and CIF terms. Needle coke made from pitch is on the petroleum coke page. Send the grade, softening point, QI and TI windows, coking value, liquid or solid form, monthly tonnage and discharge port, and the enquiry is screened and worked against it.

Excluded origins are not offered, including product re-exported, blended or re-processed through a third country. Every lot moves with a certificate of origin naming the producing plant, mine or grower country, and nothing is quoted before the seller and loading point are known.