Abstract: The invention relates to a filter of which the filtering portion is made from an inorganic material comprising grains of SiC bonded by a vitroceramic phase, to form a porous structure of which the apparent porosity is between 20 and 70%, said vitroceramic bonding phase comprising at least the following components, in molar percentage of the total oxides present in said phase: SiO2: 30% to 80% Al2O3: 5% to 45% MO: 10% to 45%, where MO is an oxide of a divalent cation or the sum of the oxides of the divalent cations present in said vitroceramic phase, M preferably being selected from Ca, Ba, Mg or Sr, said vitroceramic phase having a volume percentage of residual vitreous phase lower than 20%.

Abstract: A filtering body (3), in particular for a motor vehicle internal combustion engine exhaust gas particulate filter (1), includes a plurality of filtering units (11a–11i) assembled by at least a joint (12) interposed between the filtering units (11a–11i) and configured so as to counter the passage of exhaust gases between the filtering units (11a–11i). The filtering body is characterized in that the joint (12) comprises a plurality of joint portions (12a–12e) locally adapted to optimize the attenuation of thermomechanical stresses liable to be generated in the filtering body (3).

Abstract: A method is provided for backwashing, by heating, a particulate filter to be purified of exhaust gases (G) of an internal combustion engine (M), in particular an internal combustion engine equipping a motor vehicle (V). The method includes controlling the start-up of a device for heating (1) the filter (F) when the engine (M) delivers an engine torque at a predetermined low threshold (Cbas).