Abstract: The disclosed invention relates to the field of ceramics and concerns an open-cell expanded ceramic which may be used in the form of a deep-bed filter, and a process for the production thereof. The primary object is to produce an open-cell expanded ceramic by a simple and economical process. This object is attained by an open-cell expanded ceramic in which the inner cavities, cracks and the porosity of the ceramic members are filled partially or completely by one or a plurality of metal and/or ceramic phases and/or glass phases. The open-cell expanded ceramic is also produced in that during or after sintering the cavities, cracks and the porosity of the ceramic members are partially or completely filled with a melt or a suspension which melt below the melting temperature of the expanded ceramic, have a coefficient of expansion similar to the coefficient of expansion of the expanded ceramic, and a very good wetting capacity, and only react partially or not at all with constituents of the expanded ceramic.

Abstract: The invention provides a fiber-reinforced composite ceramic containing high-temperature-resistant fibers, in particular fibres based on Si/C/B/N, which are reaction-bonded to a matrix based on Si, which is produced by impregnating fiber bundles of Si/C/B/N fibers with a binder suitable for pyrolysis and solidifying the binder, if desired subsequently conditioning the fiber bundles with an antisilicization layer suitable for pyrolysis, for example phenolic resin or polycarbosilane, subsequently preparing a mixture of fiber bundles, fillers such as SiC and carbon in the form of graphite or carbon black and binders, pressing the mixture to produce a green body and subsequently pyrolysing the latter under reduced pressure or protective gas to produce a porous shaped body which is then infiltrated, preferably under reduced pressure, with a silicon melt.