Abstract: Shenhua coal liquefaction asphaltene (CLA) has the disadvantages of low melting point and tendency of liquid phase carbonization which is not conductive to the preparation of super activated carbon. By the KNO3 oxidation and KOH activation method, the super activated carbon with a surface area over 3000 m2/g can be prepared. Besides, the characteristics of as-prepared asphaltene, carbonized asphaltene and activated carbon were measured by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the Nitrogen adsorption-desorption measurement (BET), and the Infrared spectroscopy (IR). The result shows that peroxidation could refrain from phase change of CLA in the carbonization process, leading to the production of carbides with primary pores and abundant active sites of functional groups. This establishes a material and structural foundation for the preparation of super activated carbon. When m(KNO3)/m(CLA) is at between 0 and 0.4, the surface area of activated carbon increases at first and then decreases with increase of KNO3. When the peroxidation temperature is at between 250℃ and 400℃, the surface area of activated carbon increases at first and then decreases with the rise of temperature, the inflection point is 350℃. When the peroxidation time is at between 30mins and 60mins, the surface area of activated carbon gradually increases with the time being longer. After 60mins, the extension of the peroxidation time has little influence on the specific area of activated carbon.