Macro-porous carbon foams are fabricated using cured spherical phenolic resin particles as a matrix and furfuryl alcohol as a binder through a simple casting molding. Different sizes of the phenolic resin particles from 100– 450 μm are used to control the pore size and structure. Ethylene glycol is additionally added as a pore-forming agent and oxalic acid is used as an initiator for polymerization of furfuryl alcohol. The polymerization is performed in two steps; at 80oC and 200oC in an ambient atmosphere. The carbonization of the cured body is performed under Nitrogen gas flow (0.8 L/min) at 800oC for 1 h. Shrinkage rate and residual carbon content are measured by size and weight change after carbonization. The pore structures are observed by both electron and optical microscope and compared with the porosity results achieved by the Archimedes method. The porosity is similar regardless of the size of the phenolic resin particles. On the other hand, the pore size increases in proportion to the phenol resin size, which indicates that the pore structure can be controlled by changing the raw material particle size.

탄소섬유강화 탄소복합재료를 구성하는 탄소매트릭스 프리커서로서 또는 함침제로서 사용되는 퍼퓨릴알콜의 열안전성과 탄소수율에 2000˚C에서 열처리한 흑연분말과 함침 후 경화시 승온속도가 미치는 영향을 열분석방법을 이용하여 조사하였다. 퍼퓨릴알콜에 30wt%의 흑연분말을 첨가하였을 때와 동시에 승온속도가 분당 35˚C일 때 퍼퓨릴알콜/흑연분말 혼합물은 가장 높은 열안정성을 보여주었으며, 흑연분말을 사용하지 않은 경우보다 1000˚C이상에서의 탄소수율이 10%이상 향상되었다. 이러한 결과는 탄소복합재료의 밀도화에 수반되는 탄화→함침→경화→재탄화 반복공정의 횟수를 줄이는데 다소 기여할 것으로 판단되었다.