the pitch 14 can be solvated if desired the pitch 14 is heated in a substantially oxygen free environment to avoid oxidation of the pitch materials 14 during heating preferably the pitch 14 is heated by placing band heaters around the chamber 12 to a temperature approximately 50 to 100 u00b0 c above its softening point for example where mitsubishi ara24 mesophase pitch is used a temperature of 300 u00b0 c is sufficient the chamber is pressurized initially with a nitrogen purge or other inert gas to the desired pressure of foaming and the throttle valve is used to regulate the pressure during foaming preferably the pressure inside the chamber 12 is then increased up to 1000 psi the temperature of the pitch 14 is then raised to cause the evolution of pyrolysis gases in the pitch 14 the pyrolysis gases foams the melted pitch 14 to form the viocoua pitch foam 16 which expands into the extrusion tube 18 preferably the temperature of the pitch 14 is increased to an optimum foaming temperature range for the particular molten pitch in the melting foaming chamber 12 an optimum foaming temperature is a temperature in which the foam yield is maximized for example as shown in fig2 a preferred foaming temperature range.