Patent ID: 7001568

Claim:
A method of processing a gel monolith comprising pores filled with liquid, an inner region, and an outer region, the method comprising: removing a portion of the liquid from the pores of the gel monolith while both the inner and outer regions of the gel monolith remain wet, wherein said removing comprises: exposing the gel monolith to a temperature within a first temperature range; increasing the temperature from the first temperature range to a second temperature range substantially above the boiling temperature of the liquid, wherein increasing the temperature is performed at a rate between approximately 0.01° C. and approximately 1.5° C. per hour; maintaining the temperature within the second temperature range for a period of time; and decreasing the temperature from the second temperature range to a third temperature range substantially below the second temperature range; shrinking the volume of the gel monolith during said removing a portion of the liquid, with the gel monolith becoming correspondingly more dense; and subsequently removing substantially all of the remaining liquid from the pores of the gel monolith, wherein said subsequently removing substantially all of the remaining liquid comprises modulating a temperature gradient between the outer region and the inner region.