Star-shaped ceramic body, wherein the cross-section of the body has six lobes, the ratio of the maximum radius r2 in the star to radius r1 of a circle connecting the intersections of the lobes being in the range from 1.0 to 3.61, preferably from 2.17 to 3.61, the ratio of the area F1 inside this circle to the summed area F2 of the lobes outside this circle being in the range of from 0.54 to 0.90, the ratio of the distance x2 between the two intersections I of one lobe with neighboring lobes and the radius r1 of the circle being in the range of from 0.67 to 1.11. The ceramic body is used as catalyst-support.

Composites of silicon and various porous scaffold materials, such as carbon material comprising micro-, meso- and/or macropores, and methods for manufacturing the same are provided. The compositions find utility in various applications, including electrical energy storage electrodes and devices comprising the same.

A particulate filter and method of manufacture. The particulate filter includes intersecting walls that define longitudinally extending channels The intersecting walls comprise a porous ceramic material having a bare microstructure that comprises an interconnected network of porous spheroidal ceramic beads that has an open intrabead porosity within the beads and an interbead porosity defined by interstices between the beads. Catalyst particles are deposited at least partially within the intrabead porosity within the interbead porosity. The bare microstructure has a bimodal pore size distribution in which an intrabead median pore size of the intrabead porosity is less than an interbead median pore size of the interbead porosity. The filter has a trimodal pore size distribution comprising a first peak corresponding to the interbead porosity, a second peak corresponding to the intrabead porosity, and a third peak corresponding to the intrabead porosity as blocked by the catalyst particles.

A particulate filter and method of manufacture. The particulate filter includes intersecting walls that define longitudinally extending channels The intersecting walls comprise a porous ceramic material having a bare microstructure that comprises an interconnected network of porous spheroidal ceramic beads that has an open intrabead porosity within the beads and an interbead porosity defined by interstices between the beads. Catalyst particles are deposited at least partially within the intrabead porosity within the interbead porosity. The bare microstructure has a bimodal pore size distribution in which an intrabead median pore size of the intrabead porosity is less than an interbead median pore size of the interbead porosity. The filter has a trimodal pore size distribution comprising a first peak corresponding to the interbead porosity, a second peak corresponding to the intrabead porosity, and a third peak corresponding to the intrabead porosity as blocked by the catalyst particles.

Ultra-high temperature carbide (UHTC) foams and methods of fabricating and using the same are provided. The UHTC foams are produced in a three-step process, including UHTC slurry preparation, freeze-drying, and spark plasma sintering (SPS). The fabrication methods allow for the production of any kind of single- or multi-component UHTC foam, while also providing flexibility in the shape and size of the UHTC foams to produce near-net-shape components.

Ultra-high temperature carbide (UHTC) foams and methods of fabricating and using the same are provided. The UHTC foams are produced in a three-step process, including UHTC slurry preparation, freeze-drying, and spark plasma sintering (SPS). The fabrication methods allow for the production of any kind of single- or multi-component UHTC foam, while also providing flexibility in the shape and size of the UHTC foams to produce near-net-shape components.

A porous sintered clay mineral matrix that contains aluminum and is doped with 0.1-20 mol %, based on the amount of the aluminum, one or more transition metals, one or more post-transition metals, one or more rare earth metals, or a combination thereof. An example is a kaolinite matrix. The matrix can be made from a calcined clay mineral powder that contains aluminum and is doped with at least one of these metals. Also disclosed are methods of preparing the above-described matrix and powder.

A porous sintered clay mineral matrix that contains aluminum and is doped with 0.1-20 mol %, based on the amount of the aluminum, one or more transition metals, one or more post-transition metals, one or more rare earth metals, or a combination thereof. An example is a kaolinite matrix. The matrix can be made from a calcined clay mineral powder that contains aluminum and is doped with at least one of these metals. Also disclosed are methods of preparing the above-described matrix and powder.

A honeycomb body with a honeycomb structure having an inner zone of a first plurality of walls and an outer zone of a second plurality of walls at least partially surrounding the inner zone. The honeycomb structure has Pi that is greater than Po and MPSi that is greater than MPSo, wherein Pi is an average bulk porosity of the first plurality of walls, Po is an average bulk porosity of the second plurality of walls, MPSi is a median pore size of pores in the first plurality of walls, and MPSo is a median pore size of pores in the second plurality of walls. Various honeycomb structures, honeycomb extrusion apparatus, and co-extrusion methods are disclosed.

A honeycomb body with a honeycomb structure having an inner zone of a first plurality of walls and an outer zone of a second plurality of walls at least partially surrounding the inner zone. The honeycomb structure has Pi that is greater than Po and MPSi that is greater than MPSo, wherein Pi is an average bulk porosity of the first plurality of walls, Po is an average bulk porosity of the second plurality of walls, MPSi is a median pore size of pores in the first plurality of walls, and MPSo is a median pore size of pores in the second plurality of walls. Various honeycomb structures, honeycomb extrusion apparatus, and co-extrusion methods are disclosed.