Improving the sintering behavior of mesocarbon-microbeads for the manufacture of high quality carbon products using a joint promoter comprising carbon black and glycidyl methacrylate

•Qualities of sintered MCMB product was effectively improved by CB and GMA additives.•CB and GMA exert a mutual cooperative effect on the sintering reactions of MCMBs.•High bending strength (142 MPa) carbonized carbon-blocks were obtained.

Carbon-black (CB) and glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) were used together as a joint promoter to improve the quality of sintered mesocarbon products. The results show that, in addition to inhibiting the condensation of β-resin at ∼200 °C, GMA reduces the formation of volatile pyrolysis products during MCMB sintering at ∼300–550 °C, while CB accelerates pyrolysis and lowers the temperature at which the evolution of volatile components begins. Our observations suggest that a cooperative effect, between CB and GMA, improves sintering behavior during sintered mesocarbon product manufacture, resulting in the formation of carbonized carbon blocks with high bending strengths (142 MPa) and high densities (1.87 g cm−3).