Coal tar pitch is a byproduct of turning coal into coke or coal gas. It is a sticky, dark brown or black liquid that resists flowing and has a very strong smell. The actual components that make up coal tar pitch vary because the chemicals in the coal it comes from differ. Even so, it coal tar pitch is primarily made up of a wide variety of different phenols and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. While coal tar does have medicinal uses in treating some skin conditions, it is primarily burned as a low-cost fuel or further processed into other materials.

While there may be hundreds of different chemicals in coal tar pitch, phenols and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons make up two large classes of chemicals. Phenols are a complex classification of molecules that are typically very caustic and often harmful even in small quantities. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are dichotomous substances that are both extremely harmful to life and believed to be necessary for life to exist at all. They are present in nearly all air and food to some degree, although the concentration in coal tar pitch is much higher.

Use of coal tar pitch:
1 Used as fuel, due to the many solid components, it is generally mixed with heavy oil or made into slurry, can play a part in replacing heavy oil
2 used in the production of carbon electrode, coal asphalt carbon graphitization degree is relatively high, can be used as electrode material production, can also be used as a infiltrating agent and binder. This kind of products, involving a wide range of products, is the main use of coal asphalt.
3 Paint, mainly after processing, used for building and pipe waterproof coating. Epoxy coal asphalt coating is one of the most widely used.
4 Road construction and building materials, generally mixed with petroleum asphalt, coal asphalt and petroleum asphalt, there is an obvious quality gap and durability gap. Coal asphalt plastic, poor temperature stability, brittle in winter, softening in summer, aging fast, and the two mixed asphalt performance is better than their own use. In addition, there are more harmful substances in coal asphalt, many of which are very harmful to human body. After harmless treatment, it will be more environmentally friendly to use.
5 Needle coke, activated carbon, carbon fiber and other high value-added products. Coal asphalt residue has high carbon value, more graphitized components, and is easy to process, while needle coke and carbon fiber are high-end materials with higher added value. Using coal asphalt as raw materials is equivalent to turning waste into treasure.
6. Oil felt and other uses.