Four pitch blends were prepared at laboratory scale by mixing a coal-tar pitch and a petroleum pitch in several proportions (CTP:PP 85:15, 70:30, 55:45 and 40:60). Single pitches and blends were characterized by standard procedures, infrared spectroscopy and size exclusion chromatography. Pyrolysis behaviour and interactions between the two pitches in the blends were studied by thermogravimetric analysis (TG/DTG) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The results show that blending does not alter the composition of pitches. However, the TG/DTG curves reveal that coal-tar pitch and petroleum pitch interact actively during pyrolysis, modifying the temperature of initial weight loss and the temperature of the maximum rate of weight loss. Primary quinoline-insoluble particles present in coal-tar pitch and transferable hydrogen seem to be the main factors responsible for these modifications. The DSC curves show that the presence of coal-tar pitch in the blends reduces the reactivity of the petroleum pitch and shifts the exothermic peaks observed at the temperature of the cracking/polymerization reactions (> 400 degreesC) to lower temperatures. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.