Abstract: These glass bodies are light weight porous structures such as a boules of high purity fused silica (HPFS). More specifically, the porous structures are supports for HPFS mirror blanks. Porous glass is made utilizing flame deposition of pure silica or doped silica in a manner similar to the production of high purity fused silica. Bubbles or seeds are formed in the glass during laydown. Finely divided silicon carbide (SiC) particles are used to form the bubbles. At least one layer of porous glass is formed in the boule.

Abstract: A method of assembling a catalytic converter comprising the steps of: (1) providing a metal shell exhibiting a predetermined shape that substantially matches the shape of the ceramic substrate; (2) inserting into the metal shell a sufficient amount of a resilient supporting mat material to form a encircling mat layer; (3) compressing the encircling mat layer to an initial gap bulk density, the initial gap bulk density being higher than the final gap bulk density; (4) releasing the compression on the mat layer and prior to the mat layer reaching its final gap bulk density, inserting at least a portion of the substrate into the encircling mat layered metal shell and then allowing the mat layer to further release until the mat layer is compressed against the ceramic substrate at the final predetermined gap bulk density.