Method for making thin carbon foam electrodes

A method for making carbon foam having a thickness of 1 to 40 mils, comprising the steps of:

• uniformly infiltrating a porous material substrate having a density of less than 0.2 g/cc with a carbon foam precursor material until the porous material is saturated;
• the porous material being selected from the group consisting of a matrix of fibers, carbon paper, felt and cloth;
• curing the thus saturated porous and precursor materials;
• and
• pyrolyzing the thus cured materials.

A method for making carbon foam having a thickness of 1 to 40 mils, comprising the steps of:

• uniformly infiltrating a porous material substrate having a density of less than 0.2 g/cc with a carbon foam precursor material until the porous material is saturated;
• curing the thus saturated porous and precursor materials;
• the step of curing being carried out by freezing the saturated porous material, and then freeze-drying the frozen material;
• and
• pyrolyzing the thus cured materials.

A method for making a carbon foam electrode having a thickness in the range of 1 to 40 mils, comprising:

• forming a precursor solution by dissolving PAN in a solvent and mixing with water to form a solution;
• applying the mixture uniformly to carbon paper until the paper is saturated;
• freezing the PAN-saturated carbon paper;
• freeze-drying the frozen, PAN-saturated carbon paper;
• pyrolyzing the freeze-dried carbon paper, whereby a flat carbon foam is formed having a density of 0.15 to 1 g/cc;
• and
• forming the carbon foam into an electrode.

A method for making a carbon foam electrode having a thickness of 1-40 mils, comprising:

• forming an RF precursor solution by reacting resorcinol powder, formaldehyde, deionized water and 0.5M Na.sub.2 CO.sub.3 ;
• infiltrating carbon paper into the thus formed RF precursor solution until the carbon paper is saturated;
• curing the carbon paper/RF solution;
• exchanging water in the carbon paper/RF with acetone;
• evaporating the acetone to form an RF/carbon paper;
• and
• pyrolyzing in an atmosphere.

A method for making carbon foam having a thickness of 1 to 40 mils, comprising the steps of:

• uniformly infiltrating a porous material substrate having a density of less than 0.2 g/cc with a carbon foam precursor material until the porous material is saturated;
• the porous material being selected from the group of membranes, papers, fabrics, felts, carbon fibers, cloths, and metal fibers and powders composed of nickel, titanium, stainless steel and aluminum, and mixtures thereof;
• curing the thus saturated porous and precursor materials;
• and
• pyrolyzing the thus cured materials.