The Study of High Strength Reticulated Vitreous Carbon Preparation Method

Reticulated vitreous carbon (RVC) is a very promising functional material but the lower strength of foamed carbon greatly limits its application range. In order to increase the strength of the reticulated vitreous carbon, we used to add graphene during the preparation process because of its high strength. The foams were manufactured by multiple replication of a polyurethane foam template structure using ethanolic solutions of phenolic resin and graphene. Then the foams of preparation were carbonized in an inert atmosphere 700°C-1000°C by polyurethane foam impregnated with phenolic resin precursor. The proper addition of graphene was sought by testing the mechanical properties of the reticulated vitreous carbon and observing its microstructure. The results show that the addition of graphene could improve the mechanical properties of reticulated vitreous carbon. (paper)