Reducing the microcracks of mesophase-pitch-based carbon foams by long-time-coking method

A Mitsubishi AR naphthalene-based synthetic mesophase pitch with a softening point of 275 ° C was used to investigate the effects of different preparation methods on the microcracks of the carbon foams. The AR mesophase pitch powders were loaded in a mold and then the mold was placed in a stainless steel reactor, which was pressured by nitrogen until the final pressure 1 MPa. The micrographs of carbon foams reveal that there are less microcracks in both ligaments and junctions and the graphitic planes are highly oriented parallel to the surface of the bubbles and along the axis of the ligaments. The lack of oxidization and long holding time allow the mesophase domains to grow very large during processing that produces very large monochromatic regions in the foam. It was shown that the long-time-coking method is effective for improving the performance of mesophase-pitch-based carbon foams.