A catalytic converter is provided with: an inlet-side diffuser part; an outlet-side diffuser part; a case including an upstream-side cylindrical part and a downstream-side cylindrical part; an inner liner provided in the upstream-side cylindrical part; a first catalyst retained inside the inner liner; and a second catalyst retained inside the downstream-side cylindrical part. An end face of the second catalyst faces a peripheral surface of the inner liner. An annular flow path is provided between the upstream-side cylindrical part and the inner liner, and the first catalyst is insulated from heat by the annular flow path. A part of exhaust flows into the second catalyst via the annular flow path.

A particulate filter disclosed herein includes a wall-flow structure substrate 10 and a wash coat layer 20 held inside a partition 16 of the substrate 10. The wash coat layer 20 includes an inlet layer 22 formed to have predetermined length L.sub.A and thickness T.sub.A from near an end thereof on an exhaust gas inflow side X1, and an outlet layer 24 formed to have predetermined length L.sub.B and thickness T.sub.B from near an end thereof on an exhaust gas outflow side X2. The inlet layer 22 and the outlet layer 24 partially overlap each other. In the particulate filter disclosed herein, the inlet layer 22 contains a precious metal catalyst, while the outlet layer 24 contains substantially no precious metal catalyst. The length L.sub.A of the inlet layer is 50% or more and 75% or less of a total length L of the partition 16. Thus, the particulate filter is capable of achieving both PM collection performance and pressure-drop reduction performance at high levels.

A particulate filter disclosed herein includes a wall-flow structure substrate 10 and a wash coat layer 20 held inside a partition 16 of the substrate 10. The wash coat layer 20 includes an inlet layer 22 formed to have predetermined length L.sub.A and thickness T.sub.A from near an end thereof on an exhaust gas inflow side X1, and an outlet layer 24 formed to have predetermined length L.sub.B and thickness T.sub.B from near an end thereof on an exhaust gas outflow side X2. The inlet layer 22 and the outlet layer 24 partially overlap each other. In the particulate filter disclosed herein, the inlet layer 22 contains a precious metal catalyst, while the outlet layer 24 contains substantially no precious metal catalyst. The length L.sub.A of the inlet layer is 50% or more and 75% or less of a total length L of the partition 16. Thus, the particulate filter is capable of achieving both PM collection performance and pressure-drop reduction performance at high levels.

A honeycomb structure includes a pillar-shaped honeycomb structure body having a porous partition wall and a circumferential wall, wherein the partition wall and the circumferential wall are integrally formed product made of the same material, a porosity of the partition wall is 45 to 70%, when a material strength of the material constituting the partition wall is set to F [MPa], a thermal conductivity of the material is set to k [W/mL], a bulk density of the honeycomb structure body is set to ρ [g/cc], a Young's modulus of the material is set to E [GPa], a thermal expansion coefficient of the material is set to α [10.sup.−6/° C.], and in a section orthogonal to the extending direction of the cells of the honeycomb structure body, a difference in thickness of the circumferential wall is set to ΔT [mm], P calculated by the following equation (1) is 3.0 or more.

P=F×k×ρ/(E×α×ΔT)   Equation (1)

In an exhaust gas purification filter, a partition wall has communicating pores. Each communicating pore has a surface opening on the gas-inflow-side surface and a plurality of portions, each portion having a diameter being reduced and then increased from the surface opening, one of the portions, whose diameter is the smallest, being defined as an inlet neck portion. As viewed in cross section in a thickness direction of the partition wall, the surface opening of each communication pore has a diameter defined as a surface opening diameter, the inlet neck portion of each communication pore has a diameter defined as an inlet neck diameter. The inlet neck diameter is smaller than the surface opening diameter, and an average value of the inlet neck diameters is 15 μm or less. A surface opening ratio of the communicating pores in plan view of the gas-inflow-side partition wall surface is 40% or more.

In an exhaust gas purification filter, a partition wall has communicating pores. Each communicating pore has a surface opening on the gas-inflow-side surface and a plurality of portions, each portion having a diameter being reduced and then increased from the surface opening, one of the portions, whose diameter is the smallest, being defined as an inlet neck portion. As viewed in cross section in a thickness direction of the partition wall, the surface opening of each communication pore has a diameter defined as a surface opening diameter, the inlet neck portion of each communication pore has a diameter defined as an inlet neck diameter. The inlet neck diameter is smaller than the surface opening diameter, and an average value of the inlet neck diameters is 15 μm or less. A surface opening ratio of the communicating pores in plan view of the gas-inflow-side partition wall surface is 40% or more.

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.

Disclosed herein is a catalyst for particulate combustion which is essentially free of platinum group metal compounds and the catalyst comprises a carrier and at least one metal oxide chosen from iron oxide and manganese oxide, and combinations thereof.

An exhaust gas filter purifies exhaust gas containing particulate matter emitted from an engine. The filter has cell walls and cells surrounded by the cell walls. Through pores formed in the cell walls, adjacent cells are communicated. The cells have open cells opening along an axial direction of the filter, and plugged cells. An upstream end part of the plugged cell is plugged by a plug member. On a cross section perpendicular to the axial direction, a flow-passage sectional area of the plugged cells is larger than a flow-passage sectional area of the open cells. A total length of the filter is not less than a first standard value and is not more than a critical length Lm determined by respective predetermined equations.

An exhaust gas filter purifies exhaust gas containing particulate matter emitted from an engine. The filter has cell walls and cells surrounded by the cell walls. Through pores formed in the cell walls, adjacent cells are communicated. The cells have open cells opening along an axial direction of the filter, and plugged cells. An upstream end part of the plugged cell is plugged by a plug member. On a cross section perpendicular to the axial direction, a flow-passage sectional area of the plugged cells is larger than a flow-passage sectional area of the open cells. A total length of the filter is not less than a first standard value and is not more than a critical length Lm determined by respective predetermined equations.