Abstract: A process for the gentle and efficient drying of a ceramic honeycomb body is specified. The process is suitable for achieving, with uniform a drying of the honeycomb body, a short drying time and low shrinkage of the honeycomb body. For this, the honeycomb body which is in a moist prefabrication state is frozen and the moisture is removed from the frozen honeycomb body at a reduced pressure.

Abstract: The invention relates to an extruded solid catalyst body for breaking down nitrogen oxides in the presence of a reducing agent as well as to a process for manufacture of said body. The solid catalyst body has an active material that contains 60 to 87% by weight of an ion-exchanged zeolite containing at least one metal from the group containing Cu, Hf, La, Au, In, V, lanthanoids and transition metals of group VIII of the periodic system, more than 10 to 37% by weight of aluminum oxide and 2 to 10% by weight of inorganic fibers. The solid catalyst body, the active material of which contains a zeolite can be manufactured by extrusion and has a high degree of mechanical stability at a high catalytic activity.