The disclosure relates to sintered ceramic grains comprising 3-55 wt. % alumina, 40-95 wt. % zirconia and 1-30 wt. % of one or more other inorganic components. The invention further relates to a method for preparing ceramic grains according to the invention, comprising: making a slurry comprising alumina, zirconia; making droplets of the slurry; introducing the droplets in a liquid gelling-reaction medium wherein the droplets are gellified; drying the gellified deformed droplets.

Proppant particles formed from slurry droplets and methods of use are disclosed herein. The proppant particles can include a sintered ceramic material and can have a size of about 80 mesh to about 10 mesh and an average largest pore size of less than about 20 microns. The methods of use can include injecting a hydraulic fluid into a subterranean formation at a rate and pressure sufficient to open a fracture therein and injecting a fluid containing a proppant particle into the fracture, the proppant particle including a sintered ceramic material, a size of about 80 mesh to about 10 mesh, and an average largest pore size of less than about 20 microns.

Proppant particles formed from slurry droplets and methods of use are disclosed herein. The proppant particles can include a sintered ceramic material and can have a size of about 80 mesh to about 10 mesh and an average largest pore size of less than about 20 microns. The methods of use can include injecting a hydraulic fluid into a subterranean formation at a rate and pressure sufficient to open a fracture therein and injecting a fluid containing a proppant particle into the fracture, the proppant particle including a sintered ceramic material, a size of about 80 mesh to about 10 mesh, and an average largest pore size of less than about 20 microns.

A particulate filter and method of manufacture. The particulate filter includes intersecting walls that define longitudinally extending channels The intersecting walls comprise a porous ceramic material having a bare microstructure that comprises an interconnected network of porous spheroidal ceramic beads that has an open intrabead porosity within the beads and an interbead porosity defined by interstices between the beads. Catalyst particles are deposited at least partially within the intrabead porosity within the interbead porosity. The bare microstructure has a bimodal pore size distribution in which an intrabead median pore size of the intrabead porosity is less than an interbead median pore size of the interbead porosity. The filter has a trimodal pore size distribution comprising a first peak corresponding to the interbead porosity, a second peak corresponding to the intrabead porosity, and a third peak corresponding to the intrabead porosity as blocked by the catalyst particles.

The disclosure provides for a mixture suitable for extrusion and firing to form a ceramic honeycomb substrate, said mixture comprising a batch composition selected from the group consisting of a cordierite batch composition and an aluminum titanate batch composition, an optional pore former material; a binder material and water; wherein said binder is a methyl ether of cellulose binder having a count of less than 300 water-insoluble fibers per gram of binder material.

A ceramic precursor batch composition comprising inorganic ceramic-forming ingredients, a binder, an aqueous solvent and a heteroatom polyol agent. The heteroatom polyol agent can be represented by X(R) where X is at least one of S, N, and P, and R is at least two of CH.sub.3, CH.sub.2CH.sub.2OH, CH.sub.2CH.sub.2CH.sub.2OH, CH.sub.2(CHOH)CH.sub.3, C(CH.sub.2OH).sub.1-3, CH.sub.2OH, CH(CH.sub.2OH)CHOH, C(O)(CHOH).sub.1-4CH.sub.2OH, and CH.sub.2CH.sub.2CH.sub.2OCH.sub.3. The presence of the heteroatom polyol agent provides a composition with a lower viscosity and/or a greater batch stiffening temperature (T.sub.onset) allowing for increased rates of extrusion. Methods for producing a ceramic honeycomb body using this ceramic precursor batch composition are also provided.

According to an example, a composition may include a high melt temperature build material in the form of a powder; a first low melt temperature binder in the form of a powder; and a second low melt temperature binder in the form of a powder; and in which the first low melt temperature binder melts at a temperature that is different from the second low melt temperature binder.

According to an example, a composition may include a high melt temperature build material in the form of a powder; a first low melt temperature binder in the form of a powder; and a second low melt temperature binder in the form of a powder; and in which the first low melt temperature binder melts at a temperature that is different from the second low melt temperature binder.

A method for producing a catalyst or catalyst precursor is described including: applying a slurry of a particulate catalyst compound in a carrier fluid to an additive layer manufactured support structure to form a slurry-impregnated support, and drying and optionally calcining the slurry-impregnated support to form a catalyst or catalyst precursor. The mean particle size (D50) of the particulate catalyst compound in the slurry is in the range 1-50 μm and the support structure has a porosity ≧0.02 ml/g.

A method for post-processing a colored zirconium oxide ceramic, the method comprising: putting the colored zirconium oxide ceramic along with a deoxidant into a heating device, conducting a firing process at a preset temperature, and a colorant containing Pr.sup.3+ is used for the coloring, and the deoxidant is excessive with respect to a stoichiometric amount of oxygen in the heating device. The technical solution can completely replace Pe.sup.3+ with Pr.sup.3+ to color the zirconium oxide ceramic yellow.