Patent ID: 7354542

Claim:
A process for the formation of a material consisting essentially of the following steps: a) forming a mixture consisting of: (i) greater than 90% by weight of a mineral selected from the group consisting of expanded perlite, pumice, pumice related materials selected from the group consisting of pumicite, scoria, volcanic cinders, volcanic tuff, exfoliated vermiculite, exfoliated phlogopite, and a combination thereof, and (ii) less than 10% by weight of a binding agent containing Na 2 O and B 2 O 3 selected from the group consisting of kernite ore, kernite concentrate, tincalconite ore, tincalconite concentrate, borax ore, borax concentrate, sodium tetraborate pentahydrate, sodium tetraborate decahydrate, anhydrous sodium tetraborate, a mixture of sodium hydroxide and boric acid, a mixture of sodium carbonate and boric acid and any combination thereof, wherein the binding agent is provided in a form selected from the group consisting of a dry powder, an aqueous solution, and an aqueous slurry; b) adding a sufficient amount of water to form a slurry; c) molding said slurry into a desired shape; and d) heating the molded mixture under closely controlled temperature to a temperature between 650-950Â° C.; wherein said mixture forms a strengthened permanent bond in the product when heated.