Abstract: Methods and apparatus for making ceramic honeycombs by steps including compounding a plasticized ceramic batch mixture and forming the mixture into ceramic honeycombs by continuous extrusion, drying and firing, wherein one or more ceramic powders for the batch mixture are supplied by in-line homogenization as a powder feed having a median particle size D50 that varies from a maximum value to a minimum value by an amount not exceeding 15% of the maximum value during a 24-hour period of continuous extrusion.

Abstract: A method for forming a ceramic precursor material for use in extruding ceramic honeycomb green bodies is provided. First, a plurality of dry particulate ceramic precursor ingredients are mixed to achieve an initial particulate precursor mixture. This mixture includes a percentage of particles and agglomerates with the agglomerates exhibiting a size greater than the threshold size. Following mixing, the agglomerates in the initial particulate mixture are pulverized to reduce a maximum size of at least some of the agglomerates below the threshold size to form pulverized agglomerates. Finally, a portion of the ceramic precursor ingredients are separated from the initial mixture with that portion comprising at least some of the pulverized agglomerates and at least some of the particles. The method is particularly adapted for use in the fabrication of ceramic honeycomb green bodies having thin webs between 2 and 5 mils in thickness.