STP ShaliPitch
Specially processed coal tar pitch in seven grades — from soft pitch to dedicated aluminium and graphite quality — for anode binders, electrodes, refractories and bituminous compound manufacture, supplied pan-India.
What is it?
STP Limited’s processed coal tar pitch, produced by controlled distillation of coal tar and graded by softening point (45–113 °C) and quinoline-insolubles content.
Where is it used?
Aluminium smelters, graphite electrode plants, refractory units, carbon brush manufacture, and factories formulating bituminous coatings, mastics and damp-proof compounds.
Why use it?
Batch-consistent quinoline insolubles, beta resin and coking value — the three numbers that decide anode density, electrode strength and carbon yield after baking.
How is it applied?
Solid grades are melted about 80 °C above their softening point for binding or impregnation work; the pitch can also be solvent-dissolved and emulsified for sealing slurries.
About STP ShaliPitch
ShaliPitch is STP Limited’s specially processed coal tar pitch, recovered through controlled distillation of coal tar rather than simple residue collection. That control matters, because distillation conditions fix the softening point, quinoline-insolubles content and coking value of every batch. The product is therefore offered as a graded range — Soft (45–55 °C softening point), Soft Medium, Hard Medium and Hard pitches, plus a dedicated Aluminium Grade (101–113 °C) and Graphite Grade (95–110 °C) — each with declared limits for QI, toluene insolubles, ash and coking value. The material conforms to ASTM requirements and to IS 216, the Indian Standard for coal tar pitch.
For Indian industry it is a genuine multi-role feedstock. Smelters use it as the binder in carbon anode manufacture; electrode plants use it to bond and densify graphite; refractory and foundry units work it into moulds and carbon-bearing compositions. Beyond metallurgy, it remains the base for a long-established family of bituminous building products — anti-corrosive paint bases, flooring mastics, roofing felt saturants and damp-proof courses. Space Arc Engineering supplies all grades in granular, pencil and liquid form, with molten deliveries arriving in insulated tankers for plants that charge liquid pitch directly.
The technical insight
A binder pitch works by wetting, filling and then carbonising. During anode or electrode manufacture, molten ShaliPitch coats petroleum coke particles and penetrates their pores; on baking it does not simply burn away — its coking value (56.5–61% in Aluminium Grade) converts to solid carbon that bridges the aggregate into a dense, electrically conductive block. Quinoline insolubles (7–12% in Aluminium Grade, 10–16% in Graphite Grade) act as fine structuring particles that raise baked density and restrain shrinkage cracking, while the beta resin fraction (20–25% minimum in Aluminium Grade) provides the true binding power between coke and carbon matrix. Controlled distillation is what holds these three values steady batch after batch — the consistency a carbon plant values more than any single headline number.
Where it is used
- Binder pitch for prebaked and Söderberg carbon anodes in aluminium smelters
- Binder for graphite electrode manufacture serving electric arc furnace steelmaking
- Refractory moulds and carbon-bearing refractory compositions
- Carbon brush (motor bush) and carbon block production
- Impregnation and surface filling of carbon and ceramic bodies
- Base for anti-corrosive paints and bituminous protective coatings
- Saturant for roofing felts, flooring mastics and damp-proof course compounds
- Binder for coal briquetting
Key advantages
- Seven grades spanning 45–113 °C softening point — a match for every process window
- Controlled distillation keeps QI, beta resin and coking value consistent batch to batch
- High carbon yield: coking value up to 56.5–61% in Aluminium Grade
- Low ash (0.25% max in Aluminium Grade) with low foreign matter and no heavy metals
- Low dust content for cleaner charging and lower handling losses
- Easy melting with good flow; supplied in granular, pencil and liquid form
- Conforms to ASTM requirements and IS 216
Limitations & considerations
- Hot pitch fumes contain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; melting stations need fume extraction, full PPE and trained operators
- It is an industrial raw material, not a ready-to-apply product — buyers need melting or formulating capability
- Solid grades must be heated to roughly 80 °C above their softening point, which demands energy and dedicated plant
- Properties differ sharply between grades; specifying the wrong grade directly compromises anode or electrode quality
- Liquid supply depends on insulated tanker logistics and heated storage at the receiving plant
- Bagged solid needs cool, dry, covered storage with stacks kept under five feet
Selection & best practice
Grade selection comes before anything else: match softening point and QI to your baking cycle or formulation, and verify against IS 216 acceptance tests on delivery. Melt solid pitch at approximately 80 °C above its softening point — hot enough for full flow and thorough coke wetting, without the overheating that degrades the binder. Use the molten material promptly for soaking petroleum coke, ceramics or carbon shapes; for sealing slurries, dissolve the pitch in a suitable solvent and emulsify. Enforce PPE throughout — goggles, gloves and mask — apply a barrier cream before handling solid pitch, and wash with warm soapy water after work. Store bags in a cool, dry shed stacked no higher than five feet, and rotate stock so older material is consumed first.
Specifications
| Softening point (R&B) | 45–113 °C across seven grades; Aluminium Grade 101–113 °C, Graphite Grade 95–110 °C |
| Quinoline insolubles | 1–16% grade dependent; Aluminium Grade 7–12%, Graphite Grade 10–16% |
| Coking value | 38% min (Soft Pitch) rising to 56.5–61.0% (Aluminium Grade) |
| Toluene insolubles | 20–36% depending on grade |
| Beta resin content | 20–25% (Aluminium Grade); 20–24% (Graphite Grade) |
| Ash content | 0.25–0.80% max, by grade |
| Viscosity at 160 °C | 2,000–3,000 cps max (where specified by grade) |
| Specific gravity at 27 °C | 1.20–1.38 depending on grade |
| Packing | Solid: 50 kg HDPE bags, 1 MT jumbo bags and drums; liquid: insulated tankers |
Industry use cases
Aluminium Smelting
Aluminium Grade pitch (101–113 °C softening point, 7–12% QI) binds petroleum coke in prebaked and Söderberg anode plants, where coking value directly sets anode carbon yield.
Steel & Electrode Plants
Graphite Grade pitch bonds and densifies graphite electrodes for electric arc furnace steelmaking, with high QI and beta resin for baked strength.
Refractories & Foundries
Hard and medium grades serve refractory moulds and carbon-bearing refractory compositions where a carbonising binder is required.
Electrical Components
Medium and hard grades bind carbon brushes (motor bushes) and carbon blocks for motors and current-collection assemblies.
Bituminous Product Manufacturing
Soft and medium grades feed production of anti-corrosive paint bases, flooring mastics, roofing felt saturants and damp-proof course compounds.
Frequently asked questions
Which ShaliPitch grade should an aluminium smelter specify?
What forms and pack sizes are available?
How is solid ShaliPitch processed at the plant?
Does ShaliPitch meet Indian Standards?
Can I use ShaliPitch directly as a waterproofing coating?
What safety precautions apply when handling coal tar pitch?
How we position STP ShaliPitch
ShaliPitch sits at the raw-material end of STP Limited’s coal tar range, and we position it accordingly — for manufacturers and formulators, not site applicators. Contractors who need a finished bituminous system should look instead at STP’s applied products, such as Shalimastic HD for anti-corrosive mastic coating and ShaliTex Primer for bituminous priming, or STP’s coal tar enamel range for buried pipeline protection. Where coal tar chemistry is being phased out of concrete protection specifications, we supply modern alternatives from our Fosroc line, including the Nitocote protective coating range and Dekguard anti-carbonation coatings.
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