A joining material used for joining side surfaces of a plurality of silicon carbide-based honeycomb segments to each other to produce a silicon carbide-based honeycomb structure. The joining material contains from 0.1 to 50% by mass of processed powder generated in the production of the silicon carbide-based honeycomb segments and/or the silicon carbide-based honeycomb structure. The joining material has an average particle diameter D50 of from 0.5 to 60 μm.

A cordierite-containing ceramic body with % P≥50%, df≤0.50, and a combined weight percentage of crystalline phases containing cordierite and indialite of at least 85 wt %. The porous ceramic body contains, as expressed on a relative oxide weight percent basis in terms of MgO, Al.sub.2O.sub.3, and SiO.sub.2 that is within a field defined by (15.4, 34.1, and 50.5), (12.2, 34.1, and 53.7), (13.3, 31.2, and 55.5), and (16.6, 31.1, and 52.3). Batch composition mixtures and methods of manufacturing a porous ceramic body using the batch compositions are provided, as are other aspects.

A method of manufacturing a ceramic honeycomb structure by mixing a ceramic precursor batch composition having a median particle diameter less than or equal to about 10 μm and at least one starch-based pore former having a median particle diameter greater than or equal to about 10 μm. The method also includes forming a mixture of ceramic precursor batch composition and a starch-based pore former into a green ceramic structure having a web structure, and firing the green ceramic structure to yield a ceramic honeycomb structure.

A honeycomb filter includes: a honeycomb substrate having porous partition walls disposed so as to surround cells extending from an inflow end face to an outflow end face, an outer peripheral coating layer disposed so as to surround an outer periphery of the honeycomb substrate, and plugging portions that are disposed at any one of ends on the inflow end face and ends on the outflow end face, of the cells, wherein, the outer peripheral coating layer has an inflection point at which thermal expansion in thermal expansion behavior of the outer peripheral coating layer turns to contraction and a temperature T1 of which is 1000 to 1500° C., and the outer peripheral coating layer has a porosity P1 of 36 to 48%, and a thermal expansion coefficient C1 between 40 to 800° C. of 2.5 to 3.5×10.sup.-6 /°C.

A porous ceramic honeycomb body (10) including intersecting walls that form channels (22) extending axially from a first end face to a second end face and layered plugs (62) comprised of a first layer (64) disposed on channel walls and a second layer (66) disposed inward toward an axial center of each respective channel on the first layer. The plugs seal at least one of a first portion of the channels at the first end face and a second portion of channels at the second end face of the porous ceramic honeycomb body.

A particulate filter, including: a pillar-shaped honeycomb structure portion having a plurality of first cells extending from a first end face to a second end face, the first end face being open and the second end face being plugged, and a plurality of second cells extending from the first end face to the second end face, the first end face being plugged and the second end face being open, in which the first cells and the second cells are alternately arranged adjacent to each other with porous partition walls interposed therebetween; and a low thermal conductive layer covering a part or the whole of an outer peripheral side surface of the pillar-shaped honeycomb structure portion, the thermal conductivity in a thickness direction of the low thermal conductive layer being 0.6 W/(m.Math.K) or less.

A ceramic honeycomb filter comprising a cordierite-type ceramic honeycomb structure having large numbers of flow paths partitioned by porous cell walls, and plugs formed in end portions of predetermined flow paths of the ceramic honeycomb structure; the cell walls having a thermal expansion coefficient Tw (×10.sup.−7/° C.) of 10 or less in the flow path direction between 40° C. and 800° C.; the plugs comprising at least ceramic particles, and 5-25 parts by mass of an amorphous oxide matrix per 100 parts by mass of the ceramic particles; the ceramic particles comprising at least 42-90% by mass of amorphous silica particles, and 10-58% by mass of cordierite particles; and the amorphous silica particles comprising 4-30% by mass of first silica particles having a median particle diameter of 10-40 μm, and 70-96% by mass of second silica particles having a median particle diameter of 70-200 μm.

A porous honeycomb structure including cell channels passing through an interior of the porous honeycomb structure and partitioned by porous partition walls, wherein the porous partition walls include skeleton portions containing an aggregate and a bonding material, and pore portions formed among the skeleton portions and through which a fluid can flow; and the porous partition walls have a porosity of 40 to 48% as measured by a mercury intrusion method, and a cumulative 50% pore diameter (D50) from a large pore side of 6 to 10 μm in a volume-based cumulative distribution of pore diameters measured by the mercury intrusion method, and a maximum pore diameter observed with a scanning electron microscope of 40 μm or less, and a ratio of a contact area between the aggregate and the bonding material to a surface area of the bonding material observed with the scanning electron microscope of 61 to 80%.

An outer periphery coating material being coated onto an outer peripheral surface of a ceramic honeycomb structure to form an outer periphery coated layer. The outer periphery coating material comprises: a particle mixture containing cordierite particles and amorphous silica particles in a mass ratio of from 40:60 to 80:20; and from 10 to 30% by mass of crystalline inorganic fibers in an outer percentage relative to the particle mixture. An average particle diameter of the cordierite particles is different from an average particle diameter of the amorphous silica particles.

A pillar shaped honeycomb structure, including: an outer peripheral wall; and porous partition walls disposed inside the outer peripheral wall, the partition walls defining a plurality of cells, each of the cells penetrating from one end face to other end face to form a flow path, wherein one or both of the one end face and the other end face includes a groove portion; and wherein at least one annular conductive loop containing a conductive material is embedded in the groove portion.