A pore-free ceramic is provided that has a high modulus of elasticity and a low coefficient of thermal expansion. A process for producing a corresponding ceramic is also provided. The pore free ceramic is a dimensionally stable substrate material in applications subjected to temperature gradients including semiconductor manufacture.

Provided is a ceramic composite material and a wavelength converter. The ceramic composite material includes: an alumina matrix, a fluorescent powder uniformly distributed in the alumina matrix, and scattering centers uniformly distributed in the alumina matrix, wherein the alumina matrix is an alumina ceramics, the scattering centers are alumina particles, the alumina particles each have a particle diameter of 1 μm to 10 μm, and the fluorescent powder has a particle diameter of 13 μm to 20 μm.

Provided is a ceramic composite material and a wavelength converter. The ceramic composite material includes: an alumina matrix, a fluorescent powder uniformly distributed in the alumina matrix, and scattering centers uniformly distributed in the alumina matrix, wherein the alumina matrix is an alumina ceramics, the scattering centers are alumina particles, the alumina particles each have a particle diameter of 1 μm to 10 μm, and the fluorescent powder has a particle diameter of 13 μm to 20 μm.

A particulate filter and method of manufacture. The particulate filter comprises a ceramic honeycomb body comprising a plurality of intersecting walls that define a plurality of channels extending longitudinally though the ceramic honeycomb body. The intersecting walls comprise a porous ceramic material having a microstructure that comprises an interconnected network of porous spheroidal ceramic beads. The microstructure has a total porosity defined as the sum of an open intrabead porosity of the beads and an interbead porosity defined by interstices between the beads in the interconnected network. The microstructure has a bimodal pore size distribution in which an intrabead median pore size of the intrabead porosity is from 1.5 μm to 4 μm and an interbead median pore size of the interbead porosity is from 6 μm to 20 μm.

A particulate filter and method of manufacture. The particulate filter comprises a ceramic honeycomb body comprising a plurality of intersecting walls that define a plurality of channels extending longitudinally though the ceramic honeycomb body. The intersecting walls comprise a porous ceramic material having a microstructure that comprises an interconnected network of porous spheroidal ceramic beads. The microstructure has a total porosity defined as the sum of an open intrabead porosity of the beads and an interbead porosity defined by interstices between the beads in the interconnected network. The microstructure has a bimodal pore size distribution in which an intrabead median pore size of the intrabead porosity is from 1.5 μm to 4 μm and an interbead median pore size of the interbead porosity is from 6 μm to 20 μm.

A particulate filter and method of manufacture. The particulate filter comprises a ceramic honeycomb body comprising a plurality of intersecting walls that define a plurality of channels extending longitudinally though the ceramic honeycomb body. The intersecting walls comprise a porous ceramic material having a microstructure that comprises an interconnected network of porous spheroidal ceramic beads. The microstructure has a total porosity defined as the sum of an open intrabead porosity of the beads and an interbead porosity defined by interstices between the beads in the interconnected network. The microstructure has a bimodal pore size distribution in which an intrabead median pore size of the intrabead porosity is from 1.5 μm to 4 μm and an interbead median pore size of the interbead porosity is from 6 μm to 20 μm.

A ceramic porous body including: skeleton portions including an aggregate and at least one bonding material; and pore portions formed between the skeleton portions, the pore portions being capable of allowing a fluid to flow therethrough, wherein the pore portions have a pore volume ratio of pores having a pore diameter of from 10 to 15 μm, of from 4 to 17%.

A ceramic porous body including: skeleton portions including an aggregate and at least one bonding material; and pore portions formed between the skeleton portions, the pore portions being capable of allowing a fluid to flow therethrough, wherein the pore portions have a pore volume ratio of pores having a pore diameter of from 10 to 15 μm, of from 4 to 17%.

A manufacturing method of a honeycomb structure including: a dry mixing step of dry-mixing raw materials to form the honeycomb structure by a batch treatment, a wet mixing step of adding a liquid including at least one selected from the group consisting of water, a surfactant, a lubricant and a plasticizer to a dry mixture obtained in the dry mixing step, to perform wet mixing, a kneading step of kneading a wet mixture obtained in the wet mixing step, and a forming step of extruding a forming material prepared in the kneading step, wherein in the dry mixing step, a used forming material passed through the forming step is added as a part of the raw material, to perform dry mixing, and the kneading step includes a liquid re-adding step of further adding the liquid in a process of kneading the wet mixture.

A manufacturing method of a honeycomb structure including: a dry mixing step of dry-mixing raw materials to form the honeycomb structure by a batch treatment, a wet mixing step of adding a liquid including at least one selected from the group consisting of water, a surfactant, a lubricant and a plasticizer to a dry mixture obtained in the dry mixing step, to perform wet mixing, a kneading step of kneading a wet mixture obtained in the wet mixing step, and a forming step of extruding a forming material prepared in the kneading step, wherein in the dry mixing step, a used forming material passed through the forming step is added as a part of the raw material, to perform dry mixing, and the kneading step includes a liquid re-adding step of further adding the liquid in a process of kneading the wet mixture.