Abstract: Production of inorganic porous sintered battery separator substantially eliminating formation of gas when in contact with a zinc electrode, and permitting long cycle life of a high energy density battery such as a silver-zinc battery, produced according to one embodiment by initially firing a mixture of magnesium-bearing material, e.g., MgO, zinc-bearing material, e.g., ZnO, and silica (SiO.sub.2), at temperature in the range of about 1,100 to about 1,500.degree. C, to produce a magnesium silicate-zinc silicate composition, granulating and compacting said composition into plaques, and sintering said compacted plaques at temperature ranging from about 1,000.degree. to about 1,300.degree. C, to produce porous sintered separator members, in the form of a sintered solid solution of magnesium silicate and zinc silicate, having good transverse strength and low resistivity.