Surface bonding of ceramic bodies

A method of bonding ceramic bodies along substantially congruent surfaces, comprising:

• (a) providing a first body of ceramic, said first body comprising a ceramic product formed by the oxidation reaction of molten parent metal and a vapor-phase oxidant and grown as molten metal is transported through, and oxidized on, the surface of its own previously formed oxidation reaction product, said ceramic body comprising a polycrystalline oxidation reaction product and interconnected residual metal;
• (b) assembling said first body of ceramic adjacent a second body of ceramic in a manner such that a pair of surfaces of said first and second bodies to be bonded together face one another at bonding surfaces of said first and second bodies of ceramic;
• and
• (c) heating the assembled ceramic bodies in the presence of a vapor-phase oxidant to a temperature above the melting point of said residual metal but below the melting point of the oxidation reaction product to be formed and below the melting point of the first and second body of ceramic, to induce transport of said residual metal toward said bonding surfaces where oxidation reaction product continues to grow as in step (a) thereby effecting a bond between said ceramic bodies.