Abstract: The non-aromatic hydrocarbon (NAH), fraction rich in aromatic (< 360 ℃) and soft pitch were separated from coal tar by DMF extraction under optimal conditions: 50 ℃，solvent/coal tar of 1.5，with yields of 20.8%, 38.7% and 40.5%, respectively. Compared with the components distilled directly from coal tar, aromatics content was more enriched in <360 ℃ fraction from solvent extraction. No significant difference in content of TI and QI of the refined soft pitch and the soft pitch distilled directly is found. However, after the pitches were thermally polymerized at 420 ℃ for 2.8 h at atmospheric pressure, the content of beta resin in refined soft pitch is greatly improved, reaching to 23.1% with a softening point of 101.6 ℃, meeting the quality of binder pitch for electrodes. In addition, NAH is made up of cycloparaffins and paraffins, which can be used as a catalytic cracking feedstock.

Key words: coal tar, upgrading process, extraction, upgraded pitch