Abstract: Carbon foam，a new type of carbon materials，has drawn much attention across the world. The structures and properties of carbon foams vary greatly in terms of the raw materials used and the preparation methods adopted. In general，organic polymers，mesophase pitch，coal and coal-related materials can be used as the starting materials for the production of carbon foams. This paper reviews the structure，property and new progresses of carbon foams as well as their potential applications and prospect，where the spectacular features of making carbon foams from coal and coal-related precursors are highlighted.