Observation of 'in-contact' characteristics of Brooks–Taylor mesophase spheres obtained by high-temperature centrifugation

The “in-contact” mesophase spheres were obtained successfully by separating from mesophase sphere-containing pitches at a relatively low temperature of 220 °C using high-temperature centrifugation. The optical and scanning electron microscopies were employed to examine the characteristics of mesophase pitch samples. The results indicated that strong interactions between mesophase spheres started at relatively low temperature, with the contact point(s) occurring three dimensionally around spheres. The mesophase layers between different spheres appeared to dock with each other behind the scene, as these spheres came close enough and their lamellae at the contact point were orientated parallel with each other.