There is disclosed a plugged honeycomb structure. A plugged honeycomb structure includes a tubular honeycomb structure body having partition walls including a porous partition wall base material defining a plurality of cells which become through channels for a fluid and extend from a first end face to a second end face, and a porous trapping layer disposed on the surface of the partition wall base material; and plugging portions disposed in open ends of predetermined cells in the first end face and open ends of residual cells in the second end face, and the partition wall base material is constituted of a porous body including α-Al.sub.2O.sub.3 as a main phase and further including aluminum titanate and glass.

An abnormality diagnosis device includes a partially-plugged filter, a pressure difference sensor, a PM sensor, a first estimation portion estimating a diagnosis amount of PM from the partially-plugged filter, according to a running condition of the internal combustion engine, a second estimation portion estimating the diagnosis amount of PM according to an output of the pressure difference sensor, a third estimation portion estimating the diagnosis amount of PM according to an output of the PM sensor, and an abnormality diagnosis portion distinctly determining an abnormality of the internal combustion engine, an abnormality of the partially-plugged filter, and an abnormality of the PM sensor by comparing the diagnosis amount of PM estimated by the first estimation portion, the diagnosis amount of PM estimated by the second estimation portion, and the diagnosis amount of PM estimated by the third estimation portion.

An abnormality diagnosis device includes a partially-plugged filter, a pressure difference sensor, a PM sensor, a first estimation portion estimating a diagnosis amount of PM from the partially-plugged filter, according to a running condition of the internal combustion engine, a second estimation portion estimating the diagnosis amount of PM according to an output of the pressure difference sensor, a third estimation portion estimating the diagnosis amount of PM according to an output of the PM sensor, and an abnormality diagnosis portion distinctly determining an abnormality of the internal combustion engine, an abnormality of the partially-plugged filter, and an abnormality of the PM sensor by comparing the diagnosis amount of PM estimated by the first estimation portion, the diagnosis amount of PM estimated by the second estimation portion, and the diagnosis amount of PM estimated by the third estimation portion.

A honeycomb structure includes a pillar-shaped honeycomb structure body including porous partition walls defining and forming a plurality of cells which extend from an inflow end face to an outflow end face, and a porous outer wall surrounding the partition walls, a porous supporting bulge disposed to extend out from a circumference of the outer wall so that at least a part of the outer wall is exposed, and plugging portions arranged in open ends of the cells, and the supporting bulge has support portions and a side wall portion, and the partition walls and the outer wall of the honeycomb structure body and the support portions and the side wall portion of the supporting bulge are all formed monolithically by formation of a ceramic raw material.

A honeycomb structure includes a pillar-shaped honeycomb structure body including porous partition walls defining and forming a plurality of cells which extend from an inflow end face to an outflow end face, and a porous outer wall surrounding the partition walls, a porous supporting bulge disposed to extend out from a circumference of the outer wall so that at least a part of the outer wall is exposed, and plugging portions arranged in open ends of the cells, and the supporting bulge has support portions and a side wall portion, and the partition walls and the outer wall of the honeycomb structure body and the support portions and the side wall portion of the supporting bulge are all formed monolithically by formation of a ceramic raw material.

A ceramic honeycomb filter comprising a ceramic honeycomb structure having pluralities of flow paths partitioned by porous cordierite cell walls, and plugs formed in predetermined flow paths of the ceramic honeycomb structure; the plugs being formed by ceramic particles and an amorphous oxide matrix existing between the ceramic particles; in a cross section of the plugs, an area ratio A1 of the amorphous oxide matrix in a longitudinal range of ⅓×t from one end, and an area ratio A2 of the amorphous oxide matrix in a longitudinal range of ⅓×t from the other end meeting the relation of ½≦A1/A2≦2, wherein t represents the length of the plug in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the plug.

A ceramic honeycomb filter comprising a ceramic honeycomb structure having pluralities of flow paths partitioned by porous cordierite cell walls, and plugs formed in predetermined flow paths of the ceramic honeycomb structure; the plugs being formed by ceramic particles and an amorphous oxide matrix existing between the ceramic particles; in a cross section of the plugs, an area ratio A1 of the amorphous oxide matrix in a longitudinal range of ⅓×t from one end, and an area ratio A2 of the amorphous oxide matrix in a longitudinal range of ⅓×t from the other end meeting the relation of ½≦A1/A2≦2, wherein t represents the length of the plug in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the plug.

A plugged honeycomb structure includes: a honeycomb substrate and a plugging portion, and is configured to trap particulate matter included in fluid flowing from an inflow side end face to an outflow side end face. The partition wall includes, as raw materials, particulates of a base material and a binder and having a melting point lower than that of the base material, the base material has a particle diameter in a range of 5 μm to 60 μm, a mass ratio of the binder to a total mass of the raw material of the base material and the binder is in a range of 22 mass % to 45 mass %, and the cells include round cells as a part, the round cells being defined by a circular-arc partition wall having a circular-arc shape that is at least a part of the partition wall to have a circular shape or the like.

The honeycomb filter includes a honeycomb substrate having porous partition walls defining a plurality of cells and plugging portions. In a cross section, the cells are arranged so that a periphery of an inlet plugged cell including an open end whose shape is a square in which a length of one side is L1 is surrounded with four rectangular outlet plugged cells each including an open end whose shape is a rectangle in which a length of one side is L1 and a length of the other side is L2 (L1>L2) and four square outlet plugged cells each including an open end whose shape is a square in which a length of one side is L2. A partition wall center distance a, a partition wall center distance b and a partition wall thickness t satisfy the following equation (1):
0.95<b/at<1.90   (1).

An exhaust gas purification catalyst that has an excellent exhaust gas purification performance while suppressing pressure loss increases. The exhaust gas purification catalyst is provided with a substrate having a wall-flow structure and having a partition; a first catalyst layer formed, in a region of an interior part of the partition that is in contact with an entrance cell, along the extending direction of the partition from an exhaust gas inflow-side end for less than the total length L.sub.w of the partition; and a second catalyst layer formed, in a region of an interior part of the partition that is in contact with an exit cell, along the extending direction of the partition from the exhaust gas outflow-side end for less than the total length L.sub.w of the partition. The first catalyst layer and the second catalyst layer are configured to partially overlap with each other in the extending direction.