Abstract: A thermally shock resistant ceramic body, such as a porous ceramic honeycomb structure for a wall flow diesel engine exhaust filter or a flow-through ceramic catalyst support, is formed of a composite ceramic material comprising a major first ceramic phase exhibiting good thermal shock resistance and a minor second phase material that substantially reduces the elastic modulus of the composite ceramic material at elevated temperatures.

Abstract: A catalyst for purifying an exhaust gas to remove nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons from exhaust gas comprising a zeolite having a silica/alumina molar ratio of greater than 55, and at least 1.5%, by weight, each of nickel and cobalt incorporated therein. A second embodiment of the is an adsorber catalyst system for use in the removal of the oxides of nitrogen from waste gas, the adsorber/catalyst system comprising the following components: (1) a zeolite having a silica/alumina ratio of greater than 55; (2) at least 1.5%, by weight, each of nickel and cobalt incorporated therein; and, (3) an adsorber component comprising a mixture of gamma alumina support and a adsorber material selected from the group consisting of metal oxides, metal hydroxides, metal carbonates and mixed metal oxides.

Abstract: Powder mixtures and a method of forming and shaping the mixtures. The method involves compounding the components of powder materials, binder, solvent for the binder, surfactant, and non-solvent with respect to at least the binder, the solvent, and the powder materials. The non-solvent is lower in viscosity than the binder combined with the solvent. The solvent is present in an amount that is less than the amount that would be present otherwise. The components are mixed and plasticized, and shaped to form a green body. The choice of components results in improved wet green strength in the green body. The method is especially useful for extrusion processing of aqueous binder systems such as water and cellulose ethers and hydrophobic non-solvents, to form structures such as honeycombs. In the body, the ratio, upon subsequent firing, of the isostatic strength to the A-axis strength is at least about 20% higher than in bodies made without the mixture composition of the invention.

Abstract: A honeycomb extrusion die including a feed section having a plurality of feedholes for the input of an extrudable material, a discharge section including a discharge opening for discharging the extrudable material as a channeled honeycomb body, and a multilayer transition section disposed between the feed section and the discharge section for conveying and conditioning the extrudable material from the feed to the discharge sections, is disclosed. Also disclosed are methods for making and using the die.

Abstract: Cordierite-forming green substrates having high wet strength are prepared from fine-particle size minerals, including about 5 to 30 weight percent of delaminated kaolin and, preferably, about 15 to 39 weight percent calcined kaolin. The other fine-particle size minerals utilized are preferably talc having a particle diameter of about seven microns or less and alumina having a particle diameter of about one micron or less.

Abstract: Metal halide compositions of enhanced purity are produced by vapor phase deposition via reactions involving organometallic starting materials in a process wherein a carbon getter is provided in the reaction zone and/or adjacent the developing metal halide deposit. The carbon getter reduces carbon contamination in the product which can result from side decomposition reactions involving the organometallic starting materials.

Abstract: Novel ceramic matrix composition comprising toughened ceramic layers interlaminated with fiber-reinforced ceramic layers and offering improved off-axis and axial properties, are described. The fiber-reinforced layers comprise inorganic reinforcing fibers disposed in a ceramic matrix material, with the reinforcing fibers being oriented along axes parallel with the planes of the layers, while the toughened ceramic layers comprise inorganic whiskers or chopped fibers randomly oriented in the layers.

Abstract: Whisker-reinforced zirconia-mullite ceramic articles exhibiting excellent high-temperature modulus of rupture strength and good toughness are provided from batches comprising the free oxides ZrO.sub.2, SiO.sub.2 and Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 in combination with SiC whiskers for reinforcement. Due to the fine oxide particle sizes attainable and the fact that the mullite is formed in situ in the consolidation process, dense, whisker-reinforced mullite composite articles exhibiting excellent high-temperature strength and toughness may conveniently be obtained.

Abstract: An electrical heating unit of the integral element type, comprising an electrical heating element indirectly bonded to a supporting lithium aluminosilicate glass-ceramic plate, is described. The glass-ceramic plate is provided with a semicrystalline zinc aluminosilicate coating which protects it from the harmful effects of interaction with subsequently applied ceramic and metallic compositions making up the heating element and associated components.

Abstract: An electrical heating unit of the integral element type, comprising a platinum film heating element bonded to a supporting ceramic plate, wherein the platinum film heating element is electrically stabilized and physically protected by a lead titanate overglaze, is described.

Abstract: A strengthened glass-ceramic laminated article having a compressively-stressed surface layer substantially enveloping a tensilely-stressed core portion, produced by choosing the core and surface layer compositions such that the core undergoes a net positive differential densification with respect to the surface layer as the result of phase transformations occurring in the laminated article during crystallization in situ. Such an article offers significant advantages over glass and glass-ceramic articles strengthened by prior art methods, including improved mechanical stability, thermal shock resistance, and, most importantly, excellent high temperature strength retention.