Steam cracking process for converting crude oils to pitch compositions spinnable into carbon articles

A process comprising:

• steam cracking of one or more crude oils in a steam cracking zone to produce a first effluent comprising a heavy oil mixture comprising a steam cracker tar, a second effluent comprising a mixture of gaseous products and liquid products, and a third effluent comprising one or more bottoms products;
• optionally introducing at least a portion of the first effluent from downstream of the steam cracking zone and/or at least a portion of the second effluent from downstream of the steam cracking zone and/or at least a portion of the third effluent from downstream of the steam cracking zone to one or more pretreating zones to produce a first effluent pretreated product and/or a second effluent pretreated product and/or a third effluent pretreated product;
• introducing the first effluent, the first effluent pretreated product, the second effluent, the second effluent pretreated product, the third effluent, the third effluent pretreated product, or any combination thereof, to a reaction zone;
• and
• heat treating the first effluent, the first effluent pretreated product, the second effluent, the second effluent pretreated product, the third effluent, the third effluent pretreated product, or any combination thereof, in the reaction zone to a temperature in a range of about 200° C. to about 800° C. to produce a first reaction effluent comprising a pitch product, and a second reaction effluent comprising a mixture of gaseous and liquid products,
• wherein the pitch product has an MCR in a range of about 40 wt. % to about 95 wt. %, and a softening point Tsp in a range of about 50° C. to about 400° C.,
• wherein the first effluent is sent directly to the reaction zone without introducing to the one or more pretreating zones and the first reaction effluent, the second reaction effluent, or both the first and second reaction effluents are sent to a separation zone after heat treating to produce at least one pitch product and a separated reaction effluent comprised of gaseous and liquid hydrocarbons;
• and
• wherein the at least one pitch product following separation has a mesophase content from 5 vol % to 100 vol %, based on a total volume of the at least one pitch product, an MCR in a range of about 40 wt. % to about 95 wt. %, based on a total weight of the at least one pitch product, and a softening point Tsp in a range of about 50° C. to about 400° C.