Extruder systems and processes for production of petroleum coke and mesophase pitch

A method of production for consistently sized and shaped optically anisotropic mesophase pitch from vacuum residue, the method comprising the steps of:

• fractionating vacuum residue, produced in a vacuum distillation column at a temperature between about 430° C. to about 450° C. and a pressure of about 0.1 kPa, to remove liquid propane gas, fuel gas, coker naphtha, light coker gas oil, and heavy coker gas oil to produce a processed vacuum reside;
• supplying the processed vacuum residue to an extruder;
• heating the processed vacuum residue throughout a horizontal profile of the extruder from an inlet to an outlet of the extruder, wherein temperature of the extruder at the inlet is about 550° F. and decreases gradually along the horizontal profile to the outlet of the extruder to between about 50° F. and about 350° F., wherein pressure along the horizontal profile of the extruder is between about 0.1 kPa and 1 kPa;
• venting hydrocarbon off-gases from the extruder along the horizontal profile of the extruder from the inlet to the outlet of the extruder;
• and
• physically shaping the consistently sized and shaped mesophase pitch at the outlet of the extruder for production of carbon fibers.