Abstract: A method of vacuum forming of aqueous, fibrous slurries and products produced thereby are disclosed. The method entails forming an aqueous slurry of ceramic fiber, cationic starch and silica sol. The silica has, based on total weight of the sol, about 50% silica having a particle size range of from about 7 nm to about 200 nm and a specific surface area of about 100 m.sup.2 /gm to about 10 m.sup.2 /gm. The slurry is passed through a porous screen under a vacuum pressure deposit the solids content onto the screen to produce high strength products.