Process for making carbon foam

A process of producing carbon foam comprising:

• selecting an appropriate mold shape and a mold composed of
• a material that the molten pitch does not wet;
• introducing pitch to an appropriate level in the mold;
• purging the air from the mold;
• heating the pitch to a temperature sufficient to coalesce the pitch into a liquid;
• applying an inert fluid at a static pressure up to about 1000 psi;
• heating the pitch to a temperature sufficient to coke the pitch;
• and
• cooling the foam to room temperature with a simultaneous release of pressure to produce a carbon foam.

A process of producing carbon foam core composite comprising:

• selecting an appropriate mold shape;
• introducing pitch to an appropriate level in a mold;
• purging air from the mold;
• heating the pitch to a temperature sufficient to coalesce the pitch into a liquid;
• applying an inert fluid at a static pressure up to above 1000 psi;
• heating the pitch to a temperature sufficient to cause gases to evolve and foam the pitch;
• heating the pitch to a temperature sufficient to coke the pitch;
• cooling the foam to room temperature with a simultaneous release of pressure;
• placing facesheets on the opposite sides of the carbon foam;
• and
• adhering the facesheets to the carbon foam to produce a carbon foam core.

A process for producing a carbon foam comprising:

• providing pitch in a container;
• heating said pitch in a non-oxidizing atmosphere at a pressure and temperature sufficient to coalesce said pitch to form a liquid of said pitch;
• increasing said pressure of said non-oxidizing atmosphere in said container containing said liquid of said pitch from said pressure to an increased pressure having a range greater than said pressure to about 1000 psi;
• and
• heating said container containing said liquid of said pitch at said increased pressure to a temperature sufficient to form a carbon foam.

A process for producing a thermally conductive essentially graphitic carbon foam comprising:

• providing pitch in a container;
• heating said pitch in a non-oxidizing atmosphere at a pressure to a temperature sufficient to coalesce said pitch to form a liquid of said pitch;
• increasing said pressure of said non-oxidizing atmosphere in said container containing said liquid of said pitch from said pressure to an increased pressure having a range greater than said pressure to about 1000 psi;
• heating said container containing said liquid of said pitch at said increased pressure to a temperature sufficient to form a carbon form;
• cooling said carbon foam and reducing said increased pressure to atmospheric pressure;
• heating said carbon foam in a non-oxidizing atmosphere to a temperature sufficient to carbonize said carbon foam to form a carbonized carbon foam;
• and
• heating said carbonized carbon foam in a non-oxidizing atmosphere to a temperature sufficient to form a thermally conductive essentially graphitic carbon foam.