Method of rapidly densifying a porous structure

In the method for densifying a porous solid structure by infiltration with a gaseous compound which upon thermal decomposition forms a conducting solid residue, and thermally decomposing said compound within the pores of said structure, the steps comprising:

• a) establishing a thermal gradient within and across said porous structure;
• b) infiltrating said porous structure with a gas comprising said thermally decomposable compound, to affect deposition of solid conducting residue predominantly at the higher temperature zone within said porous structure;
• and
• c) progressively shifting said higher temperature zone toward the lower temperature zone as deposition of said solid residue proceeds, while maintaining the thermal gradient, by subjecting the densified zone to electromagnetic radiation at a frequency which inductively couples to the densified zone of said porous solid body.