Method of and system for producing solid carbon materials

1. A method of producing a solid carbon material, the method comprising:

mixing a polymerisation agent with a liquid or paste of a carbon-containing material that has been produced from the heat treatment of a carbonaceous feedstock and that is capable of undergoing polymerisation to form a material mixture; and

heating the material mixture to a temperature at which polymerisation of the material mixture occurs so as to produce the solid carbon material.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the carbon-containing material is formed through pyrolysis or hydrothermal treatment or liquefaction or other thermal treatment of the carbonaceous feedstock.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the carbonaceous feedstock comprises biomass.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of mixing the carbon-containing material with a further material that has pores, wherein at least some polymerisation of the material mixture takes place within the pores of the further material.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the further material comprises an organic or inorganic additive to produce a solid carbon material composite.

6. The method of claim 2 , further comprising the step of heating the produced solid carbon material to a temperature at which the solid carbon material is carbonised and/or devolatilised.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the produced solid carbon material is heated to a temperature between 400° C. to 1500° C.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the steps of inducing the polymerisation of the material mixture and carbonising the produced solid carbon material are repeated one or more times in an alternating manner to ultimately increase a density of the produced solid carbon material.

9. A method of producing a solid carbon material, the method comprising:

forming a carbon-containing material from the pyrolysis of carbonaceous feedstock, the carbon-containing material being capable of undergoing polymerisation and being at an elevated temperature;

cooling the carbon-containing material; and

introducing a polymerisation agent for mixing with the carbon-containing material to form a material mixture, wherein the polymerisation agent is introduced after the carbon-containing material has been cooled to about a temperature required for polymerisation thereof,

whereby polymerisation of the material mixture occurs to produce the solid carbon material.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the carbonaceous feedstock comprises biomass.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising the step of mixing the carbon- containing material with a further material that has pores, wherein at least some polymerisation of the material mixture takes place within the pores of the further material.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the further material comprises an organic or inorganic additive to produce a solid carbon material composite.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the step of cooling the material mixture is conducted in a uniform or in a step-wise manner.

14. The method of claim 9 , further comprising producing the polymerisation agent and a residue from heat treatment of the carbonaceous feedstock.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the residue is further treated to produce the carbon-containing material capable of undergoing polymerisation and to produce a further material that has pores in which some polymerisation takes place.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the residue is pyrolysed to produce the carbon-containing material capable of undergoing polymerisation.