The thermal dissolution of two samples of 1GZhR and ZhR coal in the anthracene fraction of coal tar is studied. The yield of quinoline-soluble products increases considerably in the temperature range of coal softening. Optimal thermal-dissolution conditions are determined for selective production of quinoline-soluble pitch-like products. At 350–380°C, the yield of quinoline-soluble products is 70–73% after 1–2 h. The yields of the distillate fraction and the gas are 0.9% and 0.2%, respectively. The ash-free pitch-like product is a plastic mass with a softening temperature of 76–81°C. It consists mainly of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
with a few short alkyl substituents in the aromatic rings. The spatial structure mainly includes poorly structured polycyclic aromatic molecules of the γ component. The proportion of relatively ordered graphitelike packets is 31–37%. Each packet contains five stacked polycyclic aromatic molecules of diameter 17 Å. In terms of its composition and plasticity, the product is suitable as a source of alternatives to coal pitch.