Process for production of carbon artifact precursor

A process for preparing a pitch suitable for carbon fiber production comprising:

• treating a cat cracker bottom which boils in the range of about 200.degree. C. to about 550.degree. C. to remove about 10% to about 90% by weight of the fractions present in said cat cracker bottom which boil below about 400.degree. C.;
• heat soaking the so-treated cat cracker bottom in an inert atmosphere at temperatures in the range of about 390.degree. C. to about 450.degree. C. for time periods ranging from about 1/2 hour to about 10 hours to provide a carbonaceous pitch;
• vacuum stripping said carbonaceous pitch at temperatures in the range of about 320.degree. C. to about 380.degree. C. and at pressures ranging from about 1 to 100 millimeters mercury to removed from about 30% to about 50% by weight of the oil present in said pitch;
• adding an organic fluxing liquid to said vacuum stripped pitch to provide a fluid pitch containing insoluble solids suspended therein, said organic fluxing liquid being employed in the range of about 0.5 to 3 parts by weight of liquid per part of pitch;
• filtering said pitch to separate said solids;
• treating said separated fluid pitch with an organic solvent system having a solubility parameter at 25.degree. C. of between about 8.0 and about 9.5, said treating being at a temperature and with an amount of organic solvent system sufficient to provide a solvent insoluble fraction which is thermally convertible into a deformable pitch containing greater than 75% of an optically anisotropic phase;
• and
• separating said solvent insoluble fraction whereby a pitch suitable for carbon fiber production is obtained.