Abstract: The incorporation or blending of from about 1 to about 10% by volume of a “carbide precursor” powder, preferably on the order of <100 microns in size, with a coal particulate starting material and the subsequent production of carbon foam in accordance with the method described herein, results in a carbon foam that exhibits significantly enhanced abrasive characteristics typical of those required in the polishing of, for example glass, in the manufacture of cathode ray tubes.

Abstract: An ablation resistant, monolithic, activated, carbon foam produced by the activation of a coal-based carbon foam through the action of carbon dioxide, ozone or some similar oxidative agent that pits and/or partially oxidizes the carbon foam skeleton, thereby significantly increasing its overall surface area and concurrently increasing its filtering ability. Such activated carbon foams are suitable for application in virtually all areas where particulate or gel form activated carbon materials have been used. Such an activated carbon foam can be fabricated, i.e. sawed, machined and otherwise shaped to fit virtually any required filtering location by simple insertion and without the need for handling the “dirty” and friable particulate activated carbon foam materials of the prior art.

Abstract: Coal-based cellular products that can be custom designed to have integral stiffeners or load paths, directed heat transfer paths, and/or directed mass transfer paths and methods for their production are described. Such design and production is made possible by the appropriate selection of starting materials, thermal treatment conditions and mold materials combined in at least some instances with segregation of different starting materials in different regions of a forming mold.