Sinterable structures and method

A shaped, porous product having an outer surface defining a shape having a bulk volume and having interconnecting openings extending throughout said volume and opening through said surface, said article being formed by a method comprising forming into a predetermined shape a shapeable, viscous mixture comprising a sinterable powder dispersed in a sol of a polymer in a primary solvent, replacing said primary solvent with a secondary liquid in which the polymer is insoluble to produce a gel comprising an open polymeric network having said sinterable powder arranged therein, removing said secondary liquid from the gel, and heating the gel to remove said polymeric network and to sinter said sinterable powder to form said shaped porous structure.

A shaped, porous product having an outer surface defining a shape having a bulk volume and having interconnecting openings extending throughout said volume and opening through said surface, said article being formed by a method comprising forming a viscous mixture comprising a sinterable powder dispersed in a sol of a polymer in a primary solvent, replacing said primary solvent with a secondary liquid in which the polymer is insoluble to produce a gel comprising an open polymeric network having said sinterable powder arranged therein, forming the gel into a predetermined shape, and heating the resulting material to remove said polymeric network and to sinter said material to form said shaped open porous structure.

A formable product capable of being sintered to produce an open, porous, self-supporting structure having an outer surface defining a shape having a bulk volume and having interconnecting openings extending throughout said volume and opening through said surface, comprising, in combination, a viscous sol of a polymer in a primary solvent, the weight concentration of polymer based on the primary solvent not exceeding about 10%, and a sinterable powder arranged in the sol.

A formable product capable of being sintered to produce an open, porous, self-supporting structure having an outer surface defining a shape having a bulk volume and having interconnecting openings extending throughout said volume and opening through said surface, comprising, in combination, a gel formed of a polymer in a secondary liquid in which the polymer is insoluble, the weight ratio of polymer to secondary liquid in the gel not exceeding about 1/10, and a sinterable powder arranged in the gel.