A carbonaceous material is produced by forming a mixture of less than 5% by weight of cellulosic or hemicellulosic material and more then 95% of an aqueous liquid, e.g. pure water or water and a dispersing agent (zinc chloride), dispersing the material in the liquid by subjecting the mixture to mechanical beating for 30 minutes to 160 hours, regenerating the cellulosic or hemicellulosic material by removing free water from the dispersion, drying the regenerated material at a temperature below the boiling point of water at the pressure at which drying is effected and subjecting the dried material to a decomposition heat treatment, preferably at least partly under superatmospheric pressure, up to a final temperature of 400-2000 DEG C. in an inert atmosphere, e.g. nitrogen. The selections of starting material, heating time and heat treatment are such as to give a product with a bulk density of 0.2-1.6 grams per c.c. and a carbon content of 75-100% by weight. The starting material may be a -cellulose or a mixture of a -cellulose and hemicellulose containing at least 20% by weight hemicellulose, and drying may be at a temperature of at least 40 DEG and below 100 DEG C. under atmospheric pressure. The carbonaceous material may be shaped at the regeneration stage and machined after drying or at the completion of the heat treatment. The shaped bodies may be finally heated at a temperature from 2000-3000 DEG C.
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