A sealed honeycomb structure may include porous walls dividedly forming inlet cells and outlet cells extending from an end surface of an inlet side to an end surface of an outlet side, inlet and outlet side sealing portion 5b, and an inlet side sealing portion, wherein at least one outlet cell is a reinforced cell where a reinforcing part 6 for reinforcing the outlet cell 2b is formed at at least one corner portion 21a at which the walls on a cross-section vertical to an extending direction of the cell cross each other, wherein the inlet cell is a non-reinforced cell where the reinforcing part is not formed at all the corner portions at which the walls on the cross-section vertical to the extending direction of the cell cross each other, and wherein the reinforcing parts 6 of the reinforced cells 22 are formed at a section of the honeycomb structure from the end surface of the outlet side in the extending direction of the cell.

A microwave drying method of a honeycomb formed body includes: an introduction step of disposing the honeycomb formed body while keeping an axis direction of cells of the honeycomb formed body vertically and introducing the honeycomb formed body into a drying furnace capable of irradiating with microwaves; a reflector placing step of placing a microwave reflector above the honeycomb formed body, the microwave reflector including a reflecting face having a coverage factor to an area of an end face of the honeycomb formed body that is 15% to 30%; and a microwave drying step of irradiating the honeycomb formed body with the microwaves of 915 MHz in frequency from above to dry the honeycomb formed body.

A method of drying a green ceramic honeycomb body (20) comprising: moving the body (20) through a drying system (50) comprising interconnected microwave devices (60), wherein each microwave device (D1, D2, D3) comprises an entrance (62a, 62b, 62c) located at an upstream end and an exit (64a, 64b, 64c) located at a downstream end of the microwave device (D1, D2, D3), the ends defining a downstream direction (72) and an upstream direction (74) in each of the devices (D1, D2, D3); removing moisture from the body (20) by irradiating the body (20) with microwave radiation within each of the devices (D1, D2, D3); and flowing air against the outer peripheral wall (22) of the body (20) while the body (20) is located in each of the microwave devices (D1, D2, D3). The flowing is conducted such that one or more of a supply flow and an exhaust flow of air is adjusted in at least one of the devices (D1, D2, D3) such that the air flow in the system is at a predetermined magnitude substantially in the upstream (74) or downstream direction (72).

In one embodiment, a method of manufacturing a part includes placing a die mold and a part substance in a heating zone of a microwave heating apparatus, and subjecting the die to microwave radiation. The die mold supports at least a portion of the part substance and includes a first dopant, which has a greater microwave radiation heating susceptibility than the die mold. In another embodiment, a die mold material includes a plastic and a dopant, the dopant having a greater microwave radiation heating susceptibility than the plastic. In another embodiment, a method of manufacturing a part includes placing a part substance in a microwave radiation heating zone, and subjecting the part substance to microwave radiation to heat the dopant. The part substance includes a dopant, the dopant having a first microwave radiation heating susceptibility greater than a second microwave radiation heating susceptibility of the part substance.

In a process for manufacturing a catalytic converter component, a ceramic unit is used that has been prepared by extruding green ceramic product through a die to form an extrusion having a honeycomb substrate structure in which tubular passages extend along the extrusion, the passages bounded by walls dividing adjacent passages from one another. The unit is obtained by cutting off a length of the extrusion and curing and firing it. The process further comprises flowing insulation material from one end of the unit into selected ones of the elongate passages, the insulating material then being cured. The passages are selected so that the cured insulation material forms an internal thermal insulating barrier between a core zone of the unit and a radially outer zone of the unit. Passages in the inner and outer zones are free of insulation material and the honeycomb structure walls include walls crossing the insulating barrier.

A sealed honeycomb structure may include porous walls dividedly forming inlet cells and outlet cells extending from an end surface of an inlet side to an end surface of an outlet side, inlet and outlet side sealing portion 5b, and an inlet side sealing portion, wherein at least one outlet cell is a reinforced cell where a reinforcing part 6 for reinforcing the outlet cell 2b is formed at at least one corner portion 21a at which the walls on a cross-section vertical to an extending direction of the cell cross each other, wherein the inlet cell is a non-reinforced cell where the reinforcing part is not formed at all the corner portions at which the walls on the cross-section vertical to the extending direction of the cell cross each other, and wherein the reinforcing parts 6 of the reinforced cells 22 are formed at a section of the honeycomb structure from the end surface of the outlet side in the extending direction of the cell.

A method for producing a vacuum insulation material includes producing a core by molding a core starting material composition, containing a talc-based clay mineral, a potassium compound and an organic solvent, into a predetermined shape to yield a core molded body, and firing the core molded body at a temperature that is lower than the melting point of the talc-based clay mineral. The core is vacuum-packaged with a gas barrier packaging material, to thereby produce a vacuum insulation material.

A sealed honeycomb structure may include porous walls dividedly forming inlet cells and outlet cells extending from an end surface of an inlet side to an end surface of an outlet side, inlet and outlet side sealing portion 5b, and an inlet side sealing portion, wherein at least one outlet cell is a reinforced cell where a reinforcing part 6 for reinforcing the outlet cell 2b is formed at at least one corner portion 21a at which the walls on a cross-section vertical to an extending direction of the cell cross each other, wherein the inlet cell is a non-reinforced cell where the reinforcing part is not formed at all the corner portions at which the walls on the cross-section vertical to the extending direction of the cell cross each other, and wherein the reinforcing parts 6 of the reinforced cells 22 are formed at a section of the honeycomb structure from the end surface of the outlet side in the extending direction of the cell.

Methods for drying ceramic greenware in a manner that substantially compensates for otherwise non-uniform drying are disclosed. The methods generally include partially drying a piece (22) of greenware such that its end portions (22E) are drier than its middle portion (22C). The method also includes further drying the piece with radio-frequency (RF) radiation (88) generated by an electrode system (130) by conveying the piece through the electrode system. The electrode system has a main planar electrode (131E) with a longitudinal axis (A.sub.E), and an electrode concentrator (131C) formed thereon or attached thereto. The electrode concentrator has a central section (140) that runs in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the electrode and is configured so that when the piece is conveyed through the electrode system, the electrode system concentrates more RF radiation at the center portion of the piece than at the end portions of the piece.