Process for preparing self-supporting bodies and products produced thereby

A method for producing a self-supporting body, comprising:

• selecting a parent metal;
• heating said parent metal in a substantially inert atmosphere to a temperature above its melting point to form a body of molten parent metal;
• contacting said body of molten parent metal with a permeable mass comprising at least one boron donor material, and at least one carbon donor material, wherein the ratio of reactants to parent metal in said permeable mass is controlled in order to modify at least one of the characteristics in the formed self-supporting body selected from the group consisting of grain size, metal content, degree of interconnectivity, porosity and the ratio of reaction products;
• maintaining said temperature for a time sufficient to permit infiltration of molten parent metal into said permeable mass and to permit reaction of said molten parent metal with said permeable mass to form at least one boron-containing compound;
• and
• continuing said infiltration and reaction for a time sufficient to produce said self-supporting body comprising at least one parent metal boron-containing compound.