Patent ID: 7767134

Claim:
A method for forming a carbon article with template shaped channels, the method comprising: mixing a carbon precursor with a shaped fibrous template selected from the group consisting of trilobal shaped fibers, quadric-lobal shaped fibers, V-shaped fibers, stylized I-shaped fibers, nested stylized I-shaped fibers and C-shaped fibers; forming the mixture into a pre-determined shape; curing the mixture to form a carbon precursor composite with the predetermined shape; carbonizing the carbon precursor composite; and decomposing the fibrous template to yield a carbon article with template shaped channels, and wherein forming the mixture into a pre-determined shape comprises pulling the mixture through a mold and trimming or cutting the mold into a discrete shape, the mold comprising a material selected from a group consisting of: paper, metal, plastic and glass, and wherein the mold is removed subsequent to the curing step and prior to the carbonizing step.