A joined body 20 includes a porous ceramic 22 made of porous ceramic, a metal member 24 made of a metal, and a joint 30 formed of an oxide ceramic that penetrates into pores 23 of the porous ceramic 22 and joins the porous ceramic 22 to the metal member 24. The penetration depth of the oxide ceramic into the pores of the porous ceramic is preferably 10 m or more, and more preferably 15 to 50 m. The joined body 20 may be produced through a joining step of forming a joint by placing a metal raw material between a porous ceramic and a metal member and firing the metal raw material in the air at a temperature in the range of 400 C. to 900 C., where an oxide ceramic produced by oxidation of the metal raw material penetrates into the pores of the porous ceramic in the joint.

A joined body 20 includes a porous ceramic 22 made of porous ceramic, a metal member 24 made of a metal, and a joint 30 formed of an oxide ceramic that penetrates into pores 23 of the porous ceramic 22 and joins the porous ceramic 22 to the metal member 24. The penetration depth of the oxide ceramic into the pores of the porous ceramic is preferably 10 m or more, and more preferably 15 to 50 m. The joined body 20 may be produced through a joining step of forming a joint by placing a metal raw material between a porous ceramic and a metal member and firing the metal raw material in the air at a temperature in the range of 400 C. to 900 C., where an oxide ceramic produced by oxidation of the metal raw material penetrates into the pores of the porous ceramic in the joint.

A membrane filter includes a plurality of honeycomb ceramic filtering elements, each element including a plurality of parallel ducts separated by walls and open on a face for introduction of the liquid to be filtered, an interstitial volume between the filtering elements, a filtration membrane positioned on the inner surface of the walls of the ducts, wherein the filtering elements are joined together by a curable material that forms after curing a sleeve in the form of a single part joining together, by sealing, all of the filtering elements separated the interstitial volume, the sleeve having a thickness e between 1% and 10% of the length of the filter, and the curable material being present in the open porosity and through the entire thickness of each porous wall forming the elements, over a minimum non-zero height h.

A parallel passage fluid contactor structure for chemical reaction processes has one or more segments, where each segment has a plurality of substantially parallel fluid flow passages oriented in an axial direction; cell walls between each adjacent fluid flow passages and each cell wall has at least two opposite cell wall surfaces. The structure also includes at least one active compound in the cell walls and multiple axially continuous conductive filaments either embedded within the cell walls or situated between the cell wall surfaces. The conductive filaments are at least one of thermally and electrically conductive, are oriented in axially, and are in direct contact with the active compound, and are operable to transfer thermal energy between the active material and the conductive filaments. Heating of the conductive filaments may be used to transfer heat to the active material in the cell walls. Methods of manufacturing the structure are discussed.

A parallel passage fluid contactor structure for chemical reaction processes has one or more segments, where each segment has a plurality of substantially parallel fluid flow passages oriented in an axial direction; cell walls between each adjacent fluid flow passages and each cell wall has at least two opposite cell wall surfaces. The structure also includes at least one active compound in the cell walls and multiple axially continuous conductive filaments either embedded within the cell walls or situated between the cell wall surfaces. The conductive filaments are at least one of thermally and electrically conductive, are oriented in axially, and are in direct contact with the active compound, and are operable to transfer thermal energy between the active material and the conductive filaments. Heating of the conductive filaments may be used to transfer heat to the active material in the cell walls. Methods of manufacturing the structure are discussed.

There is disclosed a plugged honeycomb structure. A plugged honeycomb structure includes a pillar-shaped honeycomb structure body having porous partition walls defining a plurality of cells which become through channels for a fluid and extend from a first end face to a second end face, and plugging portions disposed in open ends of predetermined cells in the first end face and open ends of residual cells in the second end face, and the partition walls are constituted of a porous body including -Al.sub.2O.sub.3 as a main phase and further including cordierite and Y.sub.2Si.sub.2O.sub.7.

There is disclosed a plugged honeycomb structure. A plugged honeycomb structure includes a pillar-shaped honeycomb structure body having porous partition walls defining a plurality of cells which become through channels for a fluid and extend from a first end face to a second end face, and plugging portions disposed in open ends of predetermined cells in the first end face and open ends of residual cells in the second end face, and the partition walls are constituted of a porous body including -Al.sub.2O.sub.3 as a main phase and further including cordierite and Y.sub.2Si.sub.2O.sub.7.

Embodiments of the disclosure relate to a sintered ceramic article. The sintered ceramic article includes sintered ceramic particles. The sintered ceramic particles include a shell at least partially surrounding at least one core. The shell is made from a first ceramic phase, and the at least one core is made from a second ceramic phase. The first ceramic phase differs from the second ceramic phase in at least one of density, composition, or pore morphology.

A honeycomb filter includes a plurality of cells and porous cell walls. The plurality of cells include exhaust gas introduction cells and exhaust gas emission cells. The porous cell walls each have a porosity of 55% or acre but not more than 70%. The porous cell walls include pores with a pore diameter of 40 m or more. The pores have a pore volume occupying 10% or more of a total pore volume of the porous cell walls. The exhaust gas emission cells have an average cross sectional area larger than an average cross sectional area of the exhaust gas introduction cells in the cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the plurality of cells. A total volume of the exhaust gas introduction cells is larger than a total volume of the exhaust gas emission cells.

A honeycomb filter includes a plurality of cells and porous cell walls. The plurality of cells include exhaust gas introduction cells and exhaust gas emission cells. The porous cell walls each have a porosity of 55% or acre but not more than 70%. The porous cell walls include pores with a pore diameter of 40 m or more. The pores have a pore volume occupying 10% or more of a total pore volume of the porous cell walls. The exhaust gas emission cells have an average cross sectional area larger than an average cross sectional area of the exhaust gas introduction cells in the cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the plurality of cells. A total volume of the exhaust gas introduction cells is larger than a total volume of the exhaust gas emission cells.