Carbon foams were obtained from several bituminous coals with different plasticity and volatile matter content by a two-stage thermal process. The first stage, a controlled carbonisation treatment under pressure at 450-500 °C, is responsible for the final textural properties of the foam. In the second stage the carbonisation product was baked at 1100 °C. The foams produced display a macroporous texture with plasticity, volatile matter content and maceral composition of the precursor coals having an influence on the apparent density and the pore size of the resultant porous products.Spanish Ministry of Education and Science (Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia, MEC), Project NAT2005-04658. CSIC-ESF (I3P)Peer reviewed