In this study, the aromatic carbon content of epoxy resin (EP) increased via carbon tar pitch (CTP) modification, and the CTP occurred self-polymerization reaction. The carboxyl and hydroxyl groups of CTP and the hydroxyl and carboxyl groups of EP occurred chemical cross-linking reaction. CTP and graphitization treatment promoted EP CF carbon crystal growth. The graphitization degree of pure EP CF and 40 wt% CTP modified EP CF are 8.42% and 44.21%, respectively. With the increase CTP content, the cell size, ligament junction and density of graphitization modified EP CF gradually increased, while the number of pores and cells gradually decreased. The cell size, ligament junction size and density of 40 wt% CTP modified graphitization EP CF increased to 1200 μm, 280 μm and 0.5033 g/cm3, respectively. EP CF exhibits entangling carbon ribbon and isotropic amorphous carbon. The 40 wt% CTP modified EP CF is composed of evenly distributed amorphous resin carbon and graphite domain CTP carbon. The graphitization modified EP CF improved electrical conductivity, and the electrical conductivity of 40 wt% CTP modified EP CF is 126.6 S/m. The compressive strength can be decided by EP carbon strength and its char yield, and graphitization 40 wt% CTP modified EP CF reached 4.9 MPa. This study provides some basis for preparation and application of CTP modified EP CF.

Microstructure, electrical conductivity and mechanical properties of graphitization carbon foam derived from epoxy resin modified with coal tar pitch
    Abstract
    1 Introduction
    2 Experiment
        2.1 Raw material
        2.2 Preparation of graphitization coal tar pitch modified epoxy resin carbon foam
        2.3 Material characterization
    3 Results and discussion
        3.1 Possible chemical reactions of coal tar pitch modified epoxy resin
        3.2 XRD analysis of modified graphitization epoxy resin carbon foam
        3.3 Microstructure of graphitization modified epoxy resin carbon foam
        3.4 Electrical conductivity of graphitization modified epoxy resin carbon foam
        3.5 Compressive strength of graphitization modified epoxy resin carbon foam
    4 Conclusions
    Acknowledgements 
    References

• Ping Jun Yang(School of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, China, Shaanxi Engineering Laboratory for Graphene New Carbon Materials and Applications, Xi’an 710072, China) Corresponding author
• Tie Hu Li(School of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, China, Shaanxi Engineering Laboratory for Graphene New Carbon Materials and Applications, Xi’an 710072, China)
• Hao Li(School of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, China, Shaanxi Engineering Laboratory for Graphene New Carbon Materials and Applications, Xi’an 710072, China)
• A. Lei Dang(School of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, China, Shaanxi Engineering Laboratory for Graphene New Carbon Materials and Applications, Xi’an 710072, China)