Abstract: A honeycomb structure includes at least one a honeycomb unit having a longitudinal direction. The at least one honeycomb unit includes a SOx occluding agent, inorganic particles, an inorganic binder, and partition walls extending along the longitudinal direction to define plural through-holes. A relationship 5X+30?Y?5X+45 (about 1.0?X?about 2.5) is satisfied, wherein a content of the SOx occluding agent in the partition walls is expressed by X (mol/L) and a porosity of the at least one honeycomb unit is expressed by Y (%).

Abstract: A multilayer piezoelectric element 20 includes a plurality of piezoelectric layers 11 and a plurality of inner electrode layers 12 alternately stacked, a first outer electrode 18 that electrically couples together every other inner electrode layers 12 in the lamination direction, and a second outer electrode 19 that electrically couples together the remaining inner electrode layers 12. The piezoelectric layers 11 are obtained by molding and firing a mixture containing a Pb component, a Zr component, a Ti component, a Sr component, a Nb component, and a Zn component. When the piezoelectric layers 11 are each represented by general formula Pb(ZraTi1-a)O3+bSrO+cNbO2.5+dZnO, the relative amounts of the individual components, for example, satisfy the relationships a=0.51, b=2.0×10?2, c=1.50×10?2, d=0.5×10?2, and c/d=3.0.

Abstract: A piezoelectric element includes an electrode disposed on at least one of the front and back surfaces of a piezoelectric material prepared by molding a mixture containing a Pb component, a Zr component, a Ti component, a Sr component, a Nb component, and a Zn component and then firing the molded product. When the piezoelectric material is represented by the general formula Pb(ZraTi1-a)O3+bSrO+cNbO2.5+dZnO, the relative amounts of the respective components, for example, satisfy the relationships, a=0.51, b=2.0×10?2, c=1.50×10?2, d=0.5×10?2, and c/d=3.0.

Abstract: The present invention provides a piezoelectric ceramic composition, for producing piezoelectric elements exhibiting high piezoelectric strain constant d33 and high Curie temperature Tc, which composition includes a perovskite PbZrO3 (a), a perovskite PbTiO3 (b), SrO (c), Nb2O5 (d) and ZnO (e), and relative amounts of the components (a), (b), (c) (d) and (e) satisfy the general formula: Pb(ZraTi1-a)O3+bSrO+cNbO2.5+dZnO wherein 0.51?a?0.54; 1.1×10?2?b?6.0×10?2; 0.9×10?2?c?4.25×10?2; 0.1×10?2?d?1.25×10?2; and 2.9?c/d?15.0.

Abstract: A catalyst carrier including a honeycomb structure having two end faces and a peripheral portion connecting the end faces to each other and in which cells extending between the end faces are separated by cell walls. The catalyst carrier further includes a coated layer that is disposed on the peripheral portion throughout a full length of the honeycomb structure. A reinforcing member is disposed on the peripheral portion of the honeycomb structure, where the reinforcing member has two reinforcing rings. The reinforcing rings are disposed to surround the periphery of each of the end faces of the honeycomb structure respectively.

Abstract: A catalyst carrier including a ceramic block having two open faces, an outer peripheral surface, and multiple cells divided by a cell wall and extending between the open faces. The ceramic block has multiple honeycomb units combined by interposing an adhesive layer, where the honeycomb units include an outer-peripheral-side honeycomb unit and a center-side honeycomb unit combined to form the outer peripheral part and the center part, respectively, of the block. The outer-peripheral-side honeycomb unit has an outer peripheral cell wall forming the outer peripheral surface of the outer-peripheral-side honeycomb unit. The outer peripheral cell wall includes an outermost peripheral cell wall forming part of the outer peripheral surface of the block. A cell of the outer-peripheral-side honeycomb unit in contact with the outermost peripheral cell wall thereof has a corner part having a curved surface, where the corner part is on the side contacting the outermost peripheral cell wall.

Abstract: A catalyst carrier includes a honeycomb structure where cells extending in a longitudinal direction are divided by cell walls; and a coating layer provided at a peripheral part of the honeycomb structure. The honeycomb structure and the coating layer contain at least one of inorganic fibers and whiskers. At least one of the inorganic fiber and whisker contained in the honeycomb structure is oriented mainly in a first direction. At least one of the inorganic fiber and whisker contained in the coating layer is oriented mainly in a second direction. The first direction and the second direction cross at substantially right angles to each other.

Abstract: A catalyst supporter having a honeycomb structure whose cells extend in a longitudinal direction thereof. The cells are partitioned by a cell wall, and a coat layer is placed on a peripheral portion of the honeycomb structure. A thickness D of the coat layer is within a range of 2 mm<D?about 10 mm.

Abstract: Mixed particles including noble metal particles of a noble metal, first particles of one or more metal oxides, and second particles of a metal oxide. The first particles of one or more metal oxides are selected from Al2O3, SiO2, ZrO2 and TiO2. The second particles of a metal oxide have a larger adsorptive interaction with the noble metal of the noble metal particles as compared with the metal oxide of the first particles. The noble metal particles are carried by the second particles in a larger proportion than by the first particles.

Abstract: The honeycomb structure includes a plurality of cells longitudinally placed in parallel with one another with a cell wall therebetween, and a catalyst supported by the cell wall. The cell wall is formed of inorganic particles, inorganic fiber matter, and inorganic binder. Aan area of the cell wall occupied by the catalyst that is supported by a surface of the inorganic fiber matter is about 5% or less of a sum of an area of the cell wall occupied by the catalyst that is supported by a surface of the inorganic particles, the area of the cell wall occupied by the catalyst that is supported by the surface of the inorganic fiber matter, and an area of the cell wall occupied by the catalyst that is supported by a surface of the inorganic binder.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a honeycomb structure includes a molding step of manufacturing a pillar-shaped honeycomb molded body by using a raw material composition, and a firing step of carrying out a firing treatment on the honeycomb molded body to manufacture a honeycomb fired body. The pillar-shaped honeycomb molded body has a large number of cells disposed in substantially parallel with one another in a longitudinal direction with a cell wall therebetween. The raw material composition includes inorganic particles, at least one of inorganic fibers and inorganic whiskers, and an inorganic binder. The inorganic particles include secondary particles formed by an agglomeration of primary particles. An average particle diameter of the inorganic binder in the raw material composition is about 1/200 to about 1/40 of an average particle diameter of the inorganic particles.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a honeycomb structure includes mixing inorganic particles, at least one of inorganic fibers and inorganic whiskers, and an inorganic binder solution to prepare a raw material composition. The method further includes manufacturing a pillar-shaped honeycomb molded body by extrusion-molding the raw material composition, and firing the molded body to manufacture a honeycomb fired body. The molded body has a large number of cells disposed in substantially parallel with one another in a longitudinal direction with a cell wall therebetween. A blending amount of the inorganic binder solution is about 30 to about 60% by weight to the total amount of the inorganic particles, at least one of the inorganic fibers and the inorganic whiskers, and the inorganic binder solution. A concentration of the inorganic binder solution is about 35 to about 50% by weight.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a honeycomb structure includes manufacturing a pillar-shaped honeycomb molded body having a large number of cells disposed in substantially parallel with one another in a longitudinal direction with a cell wall therebetween by using a raw material composition. The raw material composition includes inorganic particles, at least one of inorganic fibers and inorganic whiskers, and an inorganic binder. The method further includes carrying out a firing treatment on the honeycomb molded body to manufacture a honeycomb fired body. An average particle diameter of the inorganic binder in the raw material composition is about 10 to about 50 nm.

Abstract: A honeycomb structure includes a plurality of pillar-shaped honeycomb fired bodies, each having a large number of cells longitudinally placed in parallel with one another with a cell wall therebetween. The honeycomb fired bodies are combined with one another by interposing adhesive layers containing at least ceramic particles. In the ceramic particles contained in the adhesive layers, the number of those particles having a particle diameter larger than an average pore diameter of the honeycomb fired body is set to 30% or less of the total number of the ceramic particles.