Carbon nanospheres (CNSs) were synthesized through the chemical reactions of calcium carbide and oxalic acid without using catalysts. The chemical reactions were carried out in a sealed stainless steel pressure vessel with various molar ratios at temperatures of 65-250 degrees C. The synthesized CNSs have been characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) attached to the SEM, transmission electron microscopy (TEM). X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy. The total yield of carbonaceous materials relative to the starting material is about 4% (w/w). SEM and TEM results reveal that the percentage of CNSs is high (>95%). The CNSs that have been synthesized are roe-like spheres of relatively uniform size with diameters of 60-120 nm. The attached EDS result shows that the carbon content of CNSs reaches up to 98%. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.