Abstract: The invention relates to the field of mechanical engineering and refers to a radiation protective shield for vacuum furnaces and protective atmosphere furnaces, which shield is used for the best possible shielding from thermal radiation. The object of the present invention is to disclose thermal radiation protective shields of reduced weight with identical or lower effective emissivity. The object is attained by a thermal radiation protective shield for vacuum furnaces and protective atmosphere furnaces, composed of at least one porous ceramic and/or metallic material that has high thermal radiation-reflecting properties at least on a surface in the direction of the heat source.

Abstract: The disclosed invention relates to the field of ceramics and concerns an open-cell expanded ceramic which may be used in the form of a deep-bed filter, and a process for the production thereof. The primary object is to produce an open-cell expanded ceramic by a simple and economical process. This object is attained by an open-cell expanded ceramic in which the inner cavities, cracks and the porosity of the ceramic members are filled partially or completely by one or a plurality of metal and/or ceramic phases and/or glass phases. The open-cell expanded ceramic is also produced in that during or after sintering the cavities, cracks and the porosity of the ceramic members are partially or completely filled with a melt or a suspension which melt below the melting temperature of the expanded ceramic, have a coefficient of expansion similar to the coefficient of expansion of the expanded ceramic, and a very good wetting capacity, and only react partially or not at all with constituents of the expanded ceramic.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of ceramics and to a ceramic network which can, for example, be applied as a deep-bed filter and a method for the production and utilization thereof. The present invention provides a ceramic network in which the mechanical stability is improved and/or an application-dependent structure can be specifically adjusted. To this end, a ceramic network is provided which comprises two or three dimensional ceramic struts that are connected to one another. The cavities in the ceramic struts have a cross-sectional area with a circular or approximately circular or extensively circular or a convex or multiply convex contour. In addition, a method is provided in which a fiber network is produced. The fiber network comprises polymer fibers and/or natural fibers and/or other fibers, with the fibers each having cross-sectional area with a circular or approximately circular or extensively circular or a convex or multiply convex contour.