Patent ID: 7109137

Claim:
A microporous ceramic product made by a process comprising: (a) preparing a starting material for firing comprising a polysilazane as a nonoxide ceramic precursor containing silicon as an essential component; (b) heating the starting material in an atmosphere containing at least 10 mol % of H 2 gas so as to form a microporous ceramic product; and (c) cooling the microporous ceramic product; wherein a maximum firing temperature in step (b) is set in the range of about 600° C. to about 700° C., the microporous ceramic product having a surface area in the range of about 50 m 2 /g to about 500 m 2 /g, having a pore volume of greater than 0.15 cm 3 /g, and having a peak value of a pore size distribution according to the N 2 /Ar adsorption method in the range of 0.5 nm to 1.0 nm.