Feb 17 2006
Koppers has developed a new carbon foam product to improve electronic and automotive cooling systems, maximize heat exchanger performance and provide exceptional acoustic and EMI/RF shielding properties.
KFOAM(R) is a lightweight and exceptionally strong carbon foam that has high thermal and electric conductivity. Its low production cost and flexible physical properties make it ideal for use in a wide range of applications, including thermal energy and heat transfer management, electromagnetic interference and acoustic shielding, and batteries and fuel cell components. Potential uses for carbon foam include heat management devices for airplanes and spacecraft, and smaller, more efficient automobile radiators and computer chip heat dissipaters.
"We've been able to build on our decades of experience in carbon materials processing to develop KFOAM(R)," said Walter W. Turner, president and CEO of Koppers, a global producer of carbon compounds and treated wood products for the aluminum, steel, chemical, plastics, railroad and utility industries. "Our innovative Research and Development Team continues to develop new carbon pitch capabilities, and in doing so, Koppers has been able to manufacture affordable carbon foam that is well-suited to a broad set of product applications. Potential customers will find many possibilities for this product."
KFOAM(R) is produced from a Koppers specialty product called mesophase pitch. Derived from coal tar, the foam is heat-treated to 28000C to form a graphitic foam structure. The foaming process is licensed from UT-Battelle, LLC, management and operating contractor of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the U.S. Department of Energy's largest science and energy laboratory. As a highly conductive but porous structure, KFOAM(R) quickly removes heat, improving thermal management for potential use in computers and other electronics. Because of its high compressive strength, KFOAM(R) is easily machined into shapes and can provide the structure for various applications.
For more information, visit the KFOAM(R) web site: http://www.kfoam.com.
http://www.koppers.com