Abstract: A silicon carbide based porous material (1) containing silicon carbide particles (2) as an aggregate and metallic silicon (3) as a bonding material and having a number of pores (5) formed by them, characterized in that it has an oxide phase (4) in at least a part of the pore (5), and the oxide phase (4) contains respective oxides of silicon, aluminum and an alkaline earth metal and contains substantially no alkaline earth metal silicate crystal phase; a method for producing the above porous material; and a honeycomb structure comprising the silicon carbide based porous material. The above porous material is capable of effectively inhibiting the corrosion by an acid (especially acetic acid) used in the operation of carrying a catalyst, that is, is improved in the resistance to an acid.

Abstract: A honeycomb structural body comprising: a pillar-shaped ceramic block and a sealing material provided on an outer peripheral portion of said ceramic block, each of them having irregularities formed on an outer peripheral face wherein: when a least square curve is determined by a least square method on the basis of points constituting the contour of a cross-section, a center-of-gravity is defined as c1, a distance between a minimum concentric circumscribed curve having c1 and the center-of-gravity c1 is defined as D1, a distance between a maximum concentric inscribed curve having c1 and the center-of-gravity c1 is defined as D2, and the following inequality is satisfied: about 0.

Abstract: A heat spreading apparatus for use in cooling of semiconductor devices includes a frame having a plurality of individual cells formed therein, each of the cells configured for filling with a material of selected thermal conductivity therein. The selected thermal conductivity of material within a given one of the cells corresponds to a thermal profile of the semiconductor device to be cooled.