A self-cleaning transfer gear pump for transferring molten metal includes the following features: a transfer conduit extends upward from an outlet of a base, two rotatable gears are formed of refractory material and disposed in the gear chamber and engage each other during rotation. A boss functioning as a bearing extends from the drive gear and is adapted to be received in an opening in the base. A shaft is fastened at a lower end to the drive gear. A filter is fastened to the base so as to cover the inlet and prevents particles and objects in the molten metal from entering the gear chamber. In operational mode, a motor rotates the shaft and the drive gear whereby the drive gear and the second gear engage each other while being rotated so as to positively displace molten metal from the inlet to the outlet and along the transfer conduit to the remote location. In self-cleaning mode, the motor rotates the shaft and the drive gear effectively to draw molten metal from the transfer conduit by positive displacement, through the outlet, and toward the inlet therefore cleaning the filter by removing the particles adhering to the filter. Also included are a system with optional filter and optional self-cleaning mode but including an inlet portion of a die casting machine, and a method for operating the gear pump. A flow sensor may be used to transmit pulses into and from the transfer conduit so as to enable determination of a volume of molten metal being charged. The control of the molten metal volume being charged is not solely controlled by the flow sensor.

A catalyst precursor suitable for the Fischer Tropsch reaction is described comprising cobalt oxide supported on a porous support wherein the porous support is a ceramic foam comprising a closed cell structure.

A porous material includes aggregates, and a bonding material bonding between the aggregates and including cordierite as a main component, and surfaces of three-phase interfaces in which the aggregates, the bonding material and pores intersect are smoothly bonded. Furthermore, in the porous material, the bonding material may include at least one additive component selected from the group consisting of strontium, yttrium, and zirconium, and a bending strength of the porous material is 5.5 MPa or more, or a honeycomb bending strength of a honeycomb structure using the porous material may be 4.0 MPa or more.

An air purifying device for purifying air, including a housing, on which an air inlet and an air outlet are formed, which are fluidically interconnected via a flow path extending in the housing. An air conveying device for conveying the air along the flow path and an air filter for filtering foreign particles out of the air are disposed in the flow path. The air filter has at least one filter body of a motor vehicle particle filter made of a ceramic material having a lipophilic surface.

Provided is a method of manufacturing an antibacterial filter including copper-based compound particles. The method comprises the steps of preparing a porous medium containing minute pores allowing a fluid to pass therethrough and coating copper sulfide particles on inner surfaces of the minute pores of the porous medium. The sulfur compound particles have a chemical structure of Cu.sub.xS.sub.y (wherein x/y=0.8 to 1.5).

Provided is a method of manufacturing an antibacterial filter including copper-based compound particles. The method comprises the steps of preparing a porous medium containing minute pores allowing a fluid to pass therethrough and coating copper sulfide particles on inner surfaces of the minute pores of the porous medium. The sulfur compound particles have a chemical structure of Cu.sub.xS.sub.y (wherein x/y=0.8 to 1.5).

Provided are a silica ceramic material, a ceramic foam filter, and a preparation method and use of the ceramic foam filter. The silica ceramic material includes a ceramic powder and an auxiliary material, where the ceramic powder includes the following components by mass percentage: 40% to 80% of silica, 8% to 30% of alumina, and 8% to 30% of silicon carbide; and the auxiliary material includes a binder and a dispersing agent: a mass of the binder accounts for 1% to 5% of a mass of the ceramic powder, and a mass of the dispersing agent accounts for 0.5% to 1% of the mass of the ceramic powder.

An improved porous ceramic foam filter, and method of making the porous ceramic foam filter is provided. The porous ceramic foam filter comprising 28-78 wt % alumina; 18-78 wt % silica; and 1-15 wt % Group II oxide.

A volumetric media having an upstream end and a downstream end. The volumetric media includes one or more spacers and a packing material around the spacers. The packing material includes a foam. The packing material may include fine fibers disposed on at least a portion of the foam.

A refractory filter suitable for filtering molten metal, such as steel, and a method and powdered composition for producing the filter. The filter comprises refractory material, the refractory material comprising: 60-90 wt % alumina; 8-30 wt % zirconia; and 3-20 wt % magnesia. The powdered composition comprises: 60-90 wt % alumina; 8-30 wt % zirconia; and 3-20 wt % magnesia, wherein the powdered composition comprises less than 12.5 wt % reactive alumina, calcined alumina or a mixture thereof, and wherein the remainder of the alumina is tabular alumina. The method comprises: providing a powdered composition in accordance with the invention; forming a filter precursor from the powdered composition and a liquid component; and firing the filter precursor to form a refractory filter.