An open cell reticulated foam structure having a MAX phase ceramic material infiltrated at least partially into the foam structure to produce the infiltrated product. The open cell reticulated foam structure can be shaped and sized to the final shape and size of the final product prior to infiltrating with the MAX phase ceramic material. Sintering of the MAX phase ceramic material can be done with pressureless sintering. The final infiltrated product can provide heat shielding to temperatures in excess of 2400° C.

An open cell reticulated foam structure having a MAX phase ceramic material infiltrated at least partially into the foam structure to produce the infiltrated product. The open cell reticulated foam structure can be shaped and sized to the final shape and size of the final product prior to infiltrating with the MAX phase ceramic material. Sintering of the MAX phase ceramic material can be done with pressureless sintering. The final infiltrated product can provide heat shielding to temperatures in excess of 2400° C.

Composite materials that include a structural support are described, wherein the structural support defines a plurality of cavities at least partially filled with a polymeric foam. The polymeric foam may have a density less than 5 pcf and/or the composite material may have a compressive strength of at least 60 psi.

A filter for the filtration of a fluid, such as a liquid, includes or is composed of a support element made of a porous ceramic material, the element exhibiting a tubular or parallelepipedal shape delimited by an external surface and including, in its internal portion, a set of adjacent channels with axes parallel to one another and separated from one another by walls of the porous inorganic material, in which at least a portion of the channels and/or at least a portion of the external surface are covered with a porous separating membrane layer, wherein the separating membrane layer is made of a material essentially composed of silicon carbide (SiC), and the content by weight of elemental nitrogen of the layer constituting the porous separating membrane layer is between 0.1% and 2%.

A filter for the filtration of a fluid, such as a liquid, includes or is composed of a support element made of a porous ceramic material, the element exhibiting a tubular or parallelepipedal shape delimited by an external surface and including, in its internal portion, a set of adjacent channels with axes parallel to one another and separated from one another by walls of the porous inorganic material, in which at least a portion of the channels and/or at least a portion of the external surface are covered with a porous separating membrane layer, wherein the separating membrane layer is made of a material essentially composed of silicon carbide (SiC), and the content by weight of elemental nitrogen of the layer constituting the porous separating membrane layer is between 0.1% and 2%.

A filter for the filtration of a fluid, such as a liquid, includes or composed of a support element made of a porous ceramic material, the element having a tubular or parallelepipedal shape delimited by an external surface and including, in its internal portion, a set of adjacent channels with axes parallel to one another and separated from one another by walls of the porous inorganic material, wherein at least a portion of the channels and/or at least a portion of the external surface are covered with a porous separating membrane layer, wherein the layer is made of a material essentially composed of sintered grains of silicon carbide (SiC), and the weight content of elemental oxygen of the layer is less than 0.5%.

A filter for the filtration of a fluid, such as a liquid, includes or composed of a support element made of a porous ceramic material, the element having a tubular or parallelepipedal shape delimited by an external surface and including, in its internal portion, a set of adjacent channels with axes parallel to one another and separated from one another by walls of the porous inorganic material, wherein at least a portion of the channels and/or at least a portion of the external surface are covered with a porous separating membrane layer, wherein the layer is made of a material essentially composed of sintered grains of silicon carbide (SiC), and the weight content of elemental oxygen of the layer is less than 0.5%.

A method for producing a catalyst or catalyst precursor is described including: applying a slurry of a particulate catalyst compound in a carrier fluid to an additive layer manufactured support structure to form a slurry-impregnated support, and drying and optionally calcining the slurry-impregnated support to form a catalyst or catalyst precursor. The mean particle size (D50) of the particulate catalyst compound in the slurry is in the range 1-50 μm and the support structure has a porosity ≧0.02 ml/g.

A method for producing a catalyst or catalyst precursor is described including: applying a slurry of a particulate catalyst compound in a carrier fluid to an additive layer manufactured support structure to form a slurry-impregnated support, and drying and optionally calcining the slurry-impregnated support to form a catalyst or catalyst precursor. The mean particle size (D50) of the particulate catalyst compound in the slurry is in the range 1-50 μm and the support structure has a porosity ≧0.02 ml/g.

Methods of forming a carbon fiber reinforced carbon foam are provided. Such a method may comprise heating a porous body composed of a solid material comprising covalently bound carbon atoms and heteroatoms and having a surface defining pores distributed throughout the solid material, in the presence of an added source of gaseous hydrocarbons. The heating generates free radicals in the porous body from the heteroatoms and induces reactions between the free radicals and the gaseous hydrocarbons to form covalently bound carbon nanofibers extending from the surface of the solid material and a network of entangled carbon microfibers within the pores the porous body, thereby forming a carbon fiber reinforced carbon foam. Carbon fiber reinforced carbon foams and ballistic barriers incorporating the foams are also provided.