Abstract: A carbon foam material with an improved oxidation resistance is created by blending formaldehyde with phenol to form a reactive mixture, polymerizing the reactive mixture with a non-oxidation promoting basic catalyst to form a resin article, foaming the resin article to create phenolic foam, and carbonizing the phenolic foam to create the carbon foam with an increased oxidation resistance. Specifically, the oxidation resistant carbon foam has a sodium content of approximately 0%. This inventive foam may also contain one or more oxidization inhibitors to impede the oxidation of the carbon foam when the foam is exposed to an oxidizing environment.