Process of producing a composite macrostructure of organic and inorganic materials

Claim 1

A process of producing a composite macrostructure comprising the steps of first (1) intimately blending a mixture of a major amount of unsintered and unfibrillated particulate polytetrafluoroethylene resin and minor amounts of (A) a hydrocarbon liquid and (B) an addition curable silicone composition containing a crosslinking catalyst, then (2) intimately blending with the product of step (1) both a particulate ceramic material selected from the group consisting of hydroxyapatite and tricalcium phosphate and a particulate sodium chloride whose particle size is determined by a desired size of open pores in the macrostructure, then (3) introducing the product of step (2) into opposing streams of air within a mill so as to form a homogeneous particulate mixture, then (4) subjecting the product of step (3) to mechanical pressure within a die, then (5) hot pressing the product of step (4) at a temperature sufficient to sinter the polytetrafluoroethylene and to cure the silicone composition and then (6) solubilizing the particulate sodium chloride so as to create a network of open pores in the product of step (6) corresponding in size to the original sodium chloride particles.