Patent 7517490 was granted and assigned to NGK Insulators on April, 2009 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
A ceramic green body is formed by gelcasting. The ceramic green body is heated in the mold so that a solvent contained in the ceramic green body is moved to form a solvent film between the outer surface of the ceramic green body and the inner surface of the mold. The solvent film facilitates release of the ceramic green body from the mold, thereby preventing the occurrence of damage to the ceramic green body as the ceramic green body is released from the mold.