Abstract: A refractory ceramic material, including a porous base refractory material and a zirconia protective layer covering walls of pores of the porous base refractory material, wherein the refractory ceramic material has a porosity of not less than 80%, and the zirconia protective layer has a thickness not more than about 1 nanometer.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for manufacturing an insulating fibrous piece based on fibers resisting high temperature, which consists in: preparing a first suspension containing a first type of fibers resisting high temperature; preparing at least one second suspension containing a second type of fibers resisting high temperature; then pouring each suspension into a distinct compartment of a vat of which the bottom comprises a momentarily obstructed filtering sieve and of which the elementary compartments are separated from one another by a removable plate, said process being characterized in that: each suspension also comprises a minority proportion of ceramizable particles; whilst withdrawing the removable separating plate, the medium is stirred locally at least in the vicinity of this separation plate, on the one hand, and, simultaneously, the water is drained through the filtering sieve, on the other hand, in known manner; and, after having dried the piece obtained, it is heated to a temperature cap