System and process for producing mesophase coke from isotropic pitch

A system for producing mesophase coke from an isotropic pitch, the system comprising:

• a reactor comprising:
• a reservoir configured to store the isotropic pitch and feed the isotropic pitch into a container;
• an entry zone having the container, wherein the container is being adapted to receive the isotropic pitch from the reservoir, and wherein the isotropic pitch is contained within the container during processing;
• a first heating zone adapted to carry out pretreating of the isotropic pitch by operating the first heating zone at a temperature of 250° C.-350° C. under atmospheric pressure;
• a second heating zone adapted to carry out heating of the said pretreated isotropic pitch by maintaining the temperature of 350° C.-500° C. under atmospheric pressure to convert the isotropic pitch to obtain mesophase pitch;
• a third heating zone adapted to carry out heating of the mesophase pitch by maintaining the temperature of 500° C.-800° C. under the atmospheric pressure to obtain mesophase coke;
• an exit zone adapted to discharge the mesophase coke from the reactor;
• and
• a controlled-speed pusher unit adapted to physically move the container from the entry zone sequentially through the first heating zone, the second heating zone, the third heating zone and the exit zone to obtain the mesophase coke at the exit zone, wherein the controlled-speed pusher unit comprises a hydraulic pusher system having a hydraulic valve to regulate a flow of a hydraulic fluid to achieve variable pushing speed.