Provided is a method of manufacturing an alkaline-earth-metal-sulfate-loaded support material, the method comprising: providing a first slurry comprising a support material, alkaline-earth-metal ions and an organic compound, wherein the organic compound comprises a functional group selected from a sulfo group (SO.sub.3H), a sulfonyl group (S(?O).sub.2) and a sulfinyl group (S(?O)); spray drying the first slurry to provide a spray-dried powder; and heating the spray-dried powder to form an alkaline-earth-metal-sulfate-loaded support material.

Provided is a method of manufacturing an alkaline-earth-metal-sulfate-loaded support material, the method comprising: providing a first slurry comprising a support material, alkaline-earth-metal ions and an organic compound, wherein the organic compound comprises a functional group selected from a sulfo group (SO.sub.3H), a sulfonyl group (S(?O).sub.2) and a sulfinyl group (S(?O)); spray drying the first slurry to provide a spray-dried powder; and heating the spray-dried powder to form an alkaline-earth-metal-sulfate-loaded support material.

Provided is a catalyst article comprising a substrate and a catalyst composition disposed on the substrate, the catalyst composition comprising a support material having supported thereon: one or more platinum group metals (PGMs); and a Ta-polyoxometalate (POM).

A pillar-shaped honeycomb structure, comprising an outer peripheral side wall; first cells having an opening on the first end surface and having a sealing portion on the second end surface; and second cells adjacent to the first cells with partition walls interposed therebetween and having a sealing portion on the first end surface and having an opening on the second end surface; wherein the outer peripheral side wall, the partition walls, and the sealing portions are fired, and comprise cordierite as a main component and one or more sintering aids selected from ceria, zirconia, and titania; wherein in the partition walls, assuming an average porosity of a portion in a range A, and a portion in a range B is P.sub.1 (%); and assuming an average porosity of a portion in a range C is P.sub.2 (%), ?4?P.sub.1?P.sub.2?7 is satisfied.

A pillar-shaped honeycomb structure, comprising an outer peripheral side wall; first cells having an opening on the first end surface and having a sealing portion on the second end surface; and second cells adjacent to the first cells with partition walls interposed therebetween and having a sealing portion on the first end surface and having an opening on the second end surface; wherein the outer peripheral side wall, the partition walls, and the sealing portions are fired, and comprise cordierite as a main component and one or more sintering aids selected from ceria, zirconia, and titania; wherein in the partition walls, assuming an average porosity of a portion in a range A, and a portion in a range B is P.sub.1 (%); and assuming an average porosity of a portion in a range C is P.sub.2 (%), ?4?P.sub.1?P.sub.2?7 is satisfied.

A honeycomb filter includes a pillar-shaped honeycomb structure having a porous partition wall disposed so as to surround a plurality of cells which serve as a fluid through channel extending from a first end face to a second end face; and a plugging portion provided at either an end on the first end face side or the second end face side of the cell; wherein a thickness of the partition wall is 203 to 254 ?m, a porosity of the partition wall measured by the mercury press-in method is 55 to 70%, an average pore diameter of the partition wall measured by the mercury press-in method is 20 to 25 ?m, and the partition wall has an average base material neck diameter of 11 to 18 ?m for a base material neck part in which an actual part of a porous base material constituting the partition wall is locally narrowed.

A honeycomb filter includes a pillar-shaped honeycomb structure having a porous partition wall disposed so as to surround a plurality of cells which serve as a fluid through channel extending from a first end face to a second end face; and a plugging portion provided at either an end on the first end face side or the second end face side of the cell; wherein a thickness of the partition wall is 203 to 254 ?m, a porosity of the partition wall measured by the mercury press-in method is 55 to 70%, an average pore diameter of the partition wall measured by the mercury press-in method is 20 to 25 ?m, and the partition wall has an average base material neck diameter of 11 to 18 ?m for a base material neck part in which an actual part of a porous base material constituting the partition wall is locally narrowed.

An exhaust gas-purifying catalyst-manufacturing apparatus includes a holder holding a honeycomb substrate in an upright state; a guide member including a cylindrical portion inserted into an upper opening of a cylindrical body to be spaced apart from the honeycomb structure and the cylindrical body, having a first flow path allowing a supply of a coating liquid through the cylindrical portion to an upper surface of the honeycomb structure, and forming a second flow path allowing a supply of gas via a gap between the cylindrical portion and the cylindrical body to the upper surface of the honeycomb structure; a supplier supplying the coating liquid to the guide member; and a suction device sucking gas from a lower end of the cylindrical body.

An exhaust gas-purifying catalyst-manufacturing apparatus includes a holder holding a honeycomb substrate in an upright state; a guide member including a cylindrical portion inserted into an upper opening of a cylindrical body to be spaced apart from the honeycomb structure and the cylindrical body, having a first flow path allowing a supply of a coating liquid through the cylindrical portion to an upper surface of the honeycomb structure, and forming a second flow path allowing a supply of gas via a gap between the cylindrical portion and the cylindrical body to the upper surface of the honeycomb structure; a supplier supplying the coating liquid to the guide member; and a suction device sucking gas from a lower end of the cylindrical body.

A method is disclosed for making a catalyzed particulate filter with high clean filtration efficiency which may include applying a catalyst material to a filter body having porous filter walls, wherein filtration material comprising filtration particles are disposed on or in or both on and in porous filter walls, and the filtration material is hydrophobic while the catalyst material is applied. A catalyzed particulate filter with high clean filtration efficiency is also disclosed wherein the filter includes porous filter walls with filtration particles disposed on or in or both on and in the porous filter walls, and catalyst material disposed on or in or both on and in the porous filter walls, and wherein the catalyst material substantially does not touch the filtration particles.