Abstract: Abstract: The state of zirconium was characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and backscattered electrons. It is found that zirconium in zirconium-containing pitch prepared by a reaction doping method exists in the form of zirconium oxide. The reaction in the preparation of zirconium-containing pitch includes hydrolyzation of zirconium chloride and decomposition of zirconyl chloride. Because of the hydrolyzation and the evolution of hydrochloric gas, the zirconium oxide formed during the preparation could not bind together, leading to the formation of finely distributed zirconium-containing pitch with the granularity of zirconium oxide on a micrometer scale. The granularity of zirconium oxide produced by the reaction doping method is much finer than obtained by a powder doping method.