Patent ID: 7494614

Claim:
A method for forming an inorganic material into three dimensional structures, comprising the steps of: a) forming an amorphous inorganic powder material having a melting temperature, a crystallization temperature, a glass transition temperature and a glass softening temperature; b) packing the formed amorphous inorganic powder material to produce a packed amorphous inorganic powder; c) pre-sintering the packed amorphous inorganic powder by heating said powder to a temperature greater than the glass transition temperature and the glass softening temperature and less than the crystallization temperature and holding steady at said temperature for an appropriate period of time to produce a pre-sintered amorphous inorganic body; and d) annealing the pre-sintered amorphous inorganic body to a final sintering temperature above the crystallization temperature and below the melting temperature to form a three dimensional porous crystalline inorganic structure.