Patent ID: 8114336

Claim:
A method for making a ceramic article, comprising: obtaining a ceramic composition containing a fluid, forming the ceramic composition into a desired shape, wherein said forming comprises casting the ceramic composition onto a negative replica comprising a sacrificial porogen, said porogen having a defined melting point and being insoluble in a first concentration of a liquid solvent below said defined melting point, sequentially exposing the shaped ceramic composition to increasing concentrations of the liquid solvent in which the fluid contained in the ceramic composition is soluble, said sequentially exposing comprising: following a first exposure to the first concentration of said liquid solvent at a temperature below said defined melting point, exposing said shaped ceramic composition to said first concentration or a second, higher concentration of said liquid solvent at an increased temperature at or above the defined melting point, and exposing said shaped ceramic composition to a subsequent, higher concentration of said liquid solvent at a temperature at or above the defined melting point, thereby removing said fluid from the ceramic composition, removing said negative replica and hardening the shaped ceramic composition, and solidifying the ceramic composition to obtain a ceramic article having a maximum compressive strength greater than that of the same ceramic article made without said sequential exposure of the shaped ceramic composition to increasing concentrations of said liquid solvent and said temperature increase.