Patent ID: 7438839

Claim:
A method for manufacturing a carbonized carbon-carbon composite preform, comprising the steps of: (i) mixing (a) chopped carbon fiber, chopped stabilized pitch fiber, or chopped oxidized polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fiber, (b) thermoplastic pitch binder powder, and (c) activated carbon powder to form a mixture of 15-60 parts by weight of chopped carbon fiber or chopped stabilized pitch fiber or chopped oxidized PAN, 28-83 parts by weight of thermoplastic pitch binder powder, and 1-12 parts by weight of activated carbon powder; (ii) depositing said mixture into a mold; (iii) compression molding the materials in the mold at a temperature of from 180 to 300° C. and at a pressure of from 1600 to 2400 psi to form a preform by compaction; (iv) removing the compacted preform from the mold; and (v) carbonizing the compacted preform.