Abstract: A powder metallurgy method of forming a lightweight porous material body that includes mixing matrix material powder with one or more types of high volatility material powder having tendency to vaporize when heated to its vaporization temperature; hot consolidating the mixture under sufficient pressure and at a temperature below vaporization temperature of high volatility material powder to form a substantially consolidated body consisting of dispersions of high volatility material powder particles in the matrix material; heating the consolidated body to a temperature sufficient to vaporize the high volatility material powder particles and to create a vapor pressure sufficiently high to cause yielding of surrounding matrix material, thus forming pores, cooling the compact body after pore formation.

Abstract: A method of manufacture of objects by consolidation of powdered metals, alloys, ceramics, or their mixtures is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of preparing a shaped, preferably ceramic, shell, placing it inside a metal or ceramic can, filling both the shell and space between the shell and the can with powder, outgassing and sealing the can if necessary, heating the full can and pressing it to consolidate the powder into a dense form; and separating the densified object within the shell from the densified shapes between the shell and the can. During pressing, the ceramic shell does not consolidate or bond to the surrounding powder, thus acting as an easy parting surface as well as being a shape defining container for the object being consolidated. The method permits easy definition of desired shell shape and permits manufacture of complex shaped, fully densified objects in near-net-shape form.