A powder compact of alpha-SiC and alpha-Al(2)O(3) was infiltrated with a liquid precursor of SiO(2), which on subsequent heat treatment at 1500 A degrees C produced a mullite bonded porous SiC ceramics. Results showed that infiltration rate could be estimated by using weight gain measurements and theoretical analysis. The bond phase was composed of needle-shaped mullite which was observed to be grown from a siliceous melt formed during the process of oxide bonding. The porous SiC ceramics exhibited a density and porosity of 2 g cm(-3) and 30 vol%, respectively, and also a pore size distribution in a range of 2-15 mu m with an average pore size of 5 mu m. No appreciable degradation of room temperature flexural strength (51 MPa) was observed at high temperatures (1100 A degrees C).