Batch mixtures for forming ceramic honeycomb bodies and methods of manufacturing honeycomb bodies from such batch mixtures are provided. The batch mixtures comprise.

A honeycomb extrusion die body (401) including inlet (414) and exit (402) faces, and a plurality of pins (406) on the exit face (402) defining a matrix of intersecting wide slots (425) and narrow slots (427). The wide slots (425) have an exit width (W1) greater than an exit width (W2) of the narrow slots (427). The die body (401) further includes feedholes (422) at the inlet face (414) and intersecting with inlet portions (416) to the wide slots (425) and/or the narrow slots (427). Some of the pins (406) defining the wide slots (425) include a first surface indentation feature (430) that is (i) located between the inlet portion (416) and the wide slot exit and (ii) spaced away from the wide slot exit. Some of the pins (406) defining the narrow slots (427) include a second surface indentation feature (434) that is (i) located between the inlet portion and the narrow slot exit and (ii) spaced away from the narrow slot exit.

Kneading elements, extrusion apparatus, and methods of manufacturing honeycomb bodies are described herein. A kneading element (1802) has an inner surface (1804) defining an opening (1806) configured to couple the kneading element (1802) to a shaft (46,48). The kneading element (1802) also has a continuous closed curve elliptical outer surface (1808). The opening (1806) has an axis (1814) that is off-center with respect to a geometric center (1816) of the kneading element (1802) as viewed in a transverse plane perpendicular to the axis.

A honeycomb structure has a plurality of cells formed by a plurality of partition walls. The partition walls are formed of a porous material composed predominantly of cordierite. Each partition wall includes surface layer portions having a porosity of 50% or more and an inside portion having a porosity of 50% or more, the surface layer portions being portions ranging respectively from opposite surfaces to a depth corresponding to 25% of the thickness of the partition wall, and the inside portion being the other portion. The surface layer portions and the inside portion both include pores having axial pore widths of less than 30 m and pores having axial pore widths of 30 m or more. A mean axial pore width in the surface layer portions is smaller than a mean axial pore width in the inside portion.

A honeycomb body having intersecting porous walls and repeating structural units. Each repeating structural unit has a plurality of inlet channels and outlet channels that extend parallel to each other in an axial direction from an inlet face to an outlet face. Each of the repeating structural units has 2.0<I/O<3.0, wherein I/O is a ratio of a number of inlet channels to a number of the outlet channels, each of the inlet and outlet channels have a same cross-sectional size and shape, and each inlet channel of a particular repeating structural unit directly abuts an outlet channel of the particular repeating structural unit or an outlet channel of an adjacent repeating structural unit. Particulate filters including the honeycomb body, honeycomb extrusion dies, and methods of capturing soot in the honeycomb body are provided, as are other aspects.

Methods of manufacturing honeycomb-structure-forming extrusion dies having a number of slots for use in producing extruded articles having complex honeycomb patterns and extrusion dies for use in the manufacture of extruded honeycomb bodies. The method includes inserting a die insert having a runner and a number of teeth into a slot of an extrusion die such that each of the teeth blocks at least a portion of the slot of the extrusion die. The method further includes separating the runner from the teeth so that the teeth remain within the slot of the extrusion die.

A system for controlling center-to-outer flow distribution of extrudate source material through an extrusion die suitable for production of a honeycomb extrudate, and a method for fabricating a honeycomb extrudate, are provided. Sequentially arranged first and second plates define first and second pluralities of openings through which extrudate source material may flow, wherein at least some openings of the second plurality of openings arranged at different radial positions differ in area. Relative movement between the first plate and the second plate may be effectuated to adjust overlap between corresponding openings of the plates, thereby adjusting a center-to-outer flow distribution of extrudate source material through an extrusion die arranged downstream of the first and second plates.

A receiving table 100 for supporting a side surface of a honeycomb formed body, the side surface being parallel to a cell extending direction. The receiving table 100 comprises: a body portion 10 having a groove 11 extending in one direction; a support portion 20 comprising: a flexible sheet substrate 21 in contact with a surface of the groove 11 of the body portion 10; and a foam layer 22 attached to the flexible sheet substrate 21, the foam layer 22 being brought into contact with the side surface of the honeycomb formed body; and fixing members 30 for fixing the support portion 20 to the body portion 10. The support portion 20 is provided in a non-adhesive state to the body portion 10.

An extrusion apparatus (200) and method to extrude ceramic precursor batch through a die to form a honeycomb extrudate (100), and an apparatus assembly method, are provided. The apparatus comprises a tail ring device (202) comprising a tapered inner opening configured to funnel the batch downstream from upstream extrusion hardware, wherein an inner surface (318,320) of the tail ring device (202) comprises no pockets or protrusions to disrupt batch flow; a bow control device (204) disposed on the tail ring device (202) comprising an aperture (414) defined by shutter plates (S1-S4) to control a bow of the honeycomb body extrudate (100) formed from the batch flowing through the die by adjustment of the shutters (S1-S4); and an edge flow control device (206) disposed on the bow control device (204) comprising edge plates (816) configured to protrude into the batch to control an edge flow of the batch flowing to a periphery of the die.

An extrusion die (100) for a honeycomb body, the die (100) including: an input surface (102); an opposing output surface (104); feed holes (108) extending from the input surface (102) toward the output surface (104); discharge slots (106) having a slot width (SW) and a slot length (SL), and extending from the output surface (104) toward the input surface (102); and a plenum (130) fluidly connecting the feed holes (108) and the discharge slots (106). The plenum (130) may include chambers (132) connected to the feed holes (108) and including tapered outlets (134) connected to the discharge slots (106). The plenum (133) may include first chambers (132A) connected to the feed holes (108) and including first tapered outlets (134A), and second chambers (132B) connected to the first outlets and including second tapered outlets (134B) connected to the discharge slots (106).