2. Industrial coal tar processing
The industrial processing of coal tar involves separating a vaporizable fraction, known as coal tar oil, from a non-volatile heavy fraction by distillation at a temperature of around 360°C under atmospheric pressure. This residual heavy fraction is called "coal tar pitch".
The use and valorization of the products obtained after distillation has evolved considerably over time.
In the 19th century, tars were distilled mainly to separate pitch for use as a coating for boat caulking.
During the first half of the twentieth century, tar distillation was perfected to extract a number of aromatic molecules through additional treatments such as physical-chemical extraction, crystallization and rectification, laying the foundations for industrial organic chemistry.
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Industrial coal tar processing
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