Influence of the pressing direction on thermal expansion coefficient of graphite foam

The aim of this article is to examine the influence of the pressing direction on the behavior of the thermal expansion coefficient α(T) of graphite foam in the 300–780 K temperature range. The thermal expansion coefficients of two samples, one pressed along the direction of strong interactions and the other pressed along the direction of weak interactions, were measured along three directions X, Y, and Z. The results show that the dilatometric behavior of the material changes from one direction to another. The values of α(T) vary widely depending on the measurement direction. Anisotropy becomes even more intense when the sample is pressed along the direction of weak interactions.