Modeling the principle physical parameters of graphite carbon foam

Graphite carbon foam, a mesophase, pitch-based material, portrays highly ordered topology structures which exhibit superior mechanical and thermal properties. Typical graphite carbon foam with dimensions 5 cm(3), can have a surface area greater than 11 m(2), making it an excellent candidate for heat transfer applications. Accurate three dimensional modeling of carbon foams is necessary to study and predict their properties in simulation. This paper describes a computer algorithm for modeling POCO Foam (R) and similar carbon foams. The algorithm, written in MATLAB, captures the principle physical parameters of the carbon foam including bubble and pore diameter ranges and overall foam void percentage while retaining the random dispersal of spherical bubbles found in manufactured foams. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.