Abstract: A method for producing a honeycomb structure where a body containing a forming formulation composed of a cordierite forming material and an organic binder is formed into a honeycomb shape to prepare a honeycomb formed article, and the honeycomb formed article is fired to obtain a honeycomb structure, wherein the forming formulation comprises two or more types of magnesium-containing materials containing at least talc (a first magnesium-containing material), and a magnesium-containing material except talc (a second magnesium-containing material) has an average particle diameter of 4 ?m or less; and a honeycomb structure produced by the above method The above method allows the production of a well formed honeycomb structure, even when the above body contains a small of an organic material.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method of manufacturing a porous body, which is capable of manufacturing a honeycomb structure having little pressure loss. There is provided a method of manufacturing a porous body, including a step of firing a formed honeycomb body including an aluminum source material and a titanium source material to obtain a fired porous honeycomb body containing aluminum titanate as a main component. In this method, particles containing 50 mass % or more of particles having particle diameters of 10 to 20 ?m are used as the aluminum source material, and the aluminum source material is used by such an amount that an amount of an aluminum component in the fired honeycomb body is 48 mass % or more in terms of Al2O3.

Abstract: A gas sensor comprising a first measuring chamber 11 for introducing a gas to be measured, a second measuring chamber 12 for detection of the gas to be measured, and as pump cells a first pump cell 31 having a pair of pump electrodes 21 and 22, and a second pump cell 32 having a measuring electrode 23 and an auxiliary pump electrode 24, wherein a porous alumina sintered body having communicating pores of 500-1100 ? in average pore diameter and 6-16% in porosity is formed as an electrode protective layer 50 on the surface of the measuring electrode 23 as at least one of a pair of the electrode 23 and 24 of the second pump cell 32 in such a manner that the alumina sintered body covers the measuring electrode 23. The gas sensor can be use for long period of time because of the protective layer.