Method of hydrothermal liquid phase sintering of ceramic materials and products derived therefrom

A method of producing a non-barium titanate sintered ceramic, comprising:

• (i) providing a porous matrix having interstitial spaces and comprising at least a first reactant;
• (ii) contacting the porous matrix with an infiltrating medium that carries at least a second reactant;
• (iii) allowing the infiltrating medium to infiltrate at least a substantial portion of the interstitial spaces of the porous matrix under conditions that include a reaction temperature of less than about 250° C. and a reaction pressure of less than about 70000 psi and which promote a reaction between the at least first reactant and the at least second reactant to provide at least a first product;
• and
• (iv) allowing the at least first product to form and fill at least a substantial portion of the interstitial spaces of the porous matrix, thereby producing a non-barium titanate sintered ceramic.

A method of producing a composition, comprising:

• (i) providing a porous matrix having a molar volume;
• (ii) immersing at least a portion of the porous matrix in an infiltrating medium having a reactant;
• and
• (iii) forming a product by reacting at least some of the reactant with at least a portion of the matrix to provide a composition having an interconnecting microstructure, wherein a reaction temperature is less than about 250° C., wherein the product has a molar volume,
• wherein the molar volume of the matrix before step (iii) is smaller than that of the product after step (iii).

A method of producing a monolithic body from a porous matrix, comprising:

• (i) providing a porous matrix having interstitial spaces and comprising at least a first reactant;
• (ii) contacting the porous matrix with an infiltrating medium that carries at least a second reactant;
• (iii) allowing the infiltrating medium to infiltrate at least a portion of the interstitial spaces of the porous matrix under conditions that promote a reaction between the at least first reactant and the at least second reactant to provide at least a first product, wherein a reaction temperature is less than about 250° C.;
• and
• (iv) allowing the at least first product to form and fill at least a portion of the interstitial spaces of the porous matrix, thereby producing a monolithic body, wherein the first product does not comprise barium titanate,
• wherein the monolithic body is produced in step (iv) by Ostwald ripening.

A method of producing a composition, comprising:

• (iii) providing a porous matrix having a molar volume;
• (iv) immersing at least a portion of the porous matrix in an infiltrating medium having a reactant;
• and
• (iii) forming a product by reacting at least some of the reactant with at least a portion of the matrix to provide a composition having an interconnecting microstructure, wherein a reaction temperature is less than about 250° C., wherein the product has a molar volume;
• wherein the molar volume of the matrix before step (iii) is larger than that of the product after step (iii).