Abstract: Self-bonded webs of non-woven carbon fibers in the form of blankets, felt, paper, fiberboard, and the like, are produced by spinning a carbonaceous pitch having a mesophase content of from about 40 percent by weight to about 90 percent by weight to form carbonaceous pitch fiber; disposing staple lengths of the spun fiber in intimately contacting relationship with each other in a non-woven fibrous web; heating the web produced in this manner in an oxidizing atmosphere to thermoset the surfaces of the fibers to an extent which will allow the fibers to maintain their shape upon heating to more elevated temperatures but insufficient to thermoset the interior portions of the fibers; heating the web containing the externally thermoset fibers under compressive pressure in an oxygen-free atmosphere to a temperature sufficiently elevated to cause the mesophase pitch in the unoxidized interior portions of the fibers to undergo liquid flow and exude through surface pores or flaws in the fibers and contact the surfaces o

Abstract: Fibers having a high degree of flexibility and handleability are produced by oxidizing fibers spun from a carbonaceous pitch which has been transformed, in part, to a liquid crystal or so-called "mesophase" state to an oxygen content of from 17 per cent by weight to 30 per cent by weight. Because of their strength and handleability, these highly-oxidized fibers can be easily processed at high speeds by means of conventional yarn-transport systems, and readily woven or knit into cloth. Such cloth may then be heat treated to produce carbon or graphite cloth.

Abstract: Improved fuel cell electrodes produced by spinning a carbonaceous pitch having a mesophase content of from about 40 per cent by weight to about 90 per cent by weight to form carbonaceous pitch fiber; disposing staple lengths of the spun fiber in intimately contacting relationship with each other in a non-woven fibrous web; heating the web produced in this manner in an oxidizing atmosphere to thermoset the fibers to an extent which will allow the fibers to maintain their shape upon heating to more elevated temperatures; heating the web containing the thermoset fibers to a carbonizing temperature in an oxygen-free atmosphere so as to expel hydrogen and other volatiles; impregnating the web with a hydrophobic resin dispersion; compressing the impregnated web to remove excess fluid and form a thin, paper-like sheet; drying the compressed sheet, and heating it at a temperature sufficiently elevated to cause the hydrophobic resin impregnant to fuse and bond the fibers of the web together so as to increase the struc