A carbon foam comprising linear portions and node portions joining the linear portions, wherein the linear portions have a diameter of 0.1 μm or more and 10.0 μm or less, and the carbon foam has a surface with an area of 100 cm.sup.2 or more.

A carbon foam comprising linear portions and node portions joining the linear portions, wherein the linear portions have a diameter of 0.1 μm or more and 10.0 μm or less, and the carbon foam has a surface with an area of 100 cm.sup.2 or more.

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.

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.

A ceramic vaporization core includes: a porous body; and a heating body disposed on the porous body. The porous body includes at least one porous ceramic layer doped with a hydroxyl group-containing matrix. In an embodiment, the porous ceramic layer doped with the hydroxyl group-containing matrix includes components in parts by weight as follows: 35 to 55 parts by weight of a ceramic powder doped with a hydroxyl group compound; and 25 to 45 parts by weight of a pore-forming agent.

A ceramic vaporization core includes: a porous body; and a heating body disposed on the porous body. The porous body includes at least one porous ceramic layer doped with a hydroxyl group-containing matrix. In an embodiment, the porous ceramic layer doped with the hydroxyl group-containing matrix includes components in parts by weight as follows: 35 to 55 parts by weight of a ceramic powder doped with a hydroxyl group compound; and 25 to 45 parts by weight of a pore-forming agent.

Provided is a boron nitride sintered body including boron nitride particles and pores, in which an average pore diameter of the pores is less than 2 μm. Provided is a method for manufacturing a boron nitride sintered body, the method including: a nitriding step of firing a boron carbide powder in a nitrogen pressurized atmosphere to obtain a fired product containing boron carbonitride; and a sintering step of molding and heating a blend containing the fired product and a sintering aid to obtain the boron nitride sintered body including boron nitride particles and pores, in which the sintering aid contains boron oxide and calcium carbonate, and the blend contains 1 to 20 parts by mass of a boron compound and a calcium compound in total with respect to 100 parts by mass of the fired product.

Provided is a boron nitride sintered body including boron nitride particles and pores, in which an average pore diameter of the pores is less than 2 μm. Provided is a method for manufacturing a boron nitride sintered body, the method including: a nitriding step of firing a boron carbide powder in a nitrogen pressurized atmosphere to obtain a fired product containing boron carbonitride; and a sintering step of molding and heating a blend containing the fired product and a sintering aid to obtain the boron nitride sintered body including boron nitride particles and pores, in which the sintering aid contains boron oxide and calcium carbonate, and the blend contains 1 to 20 parts by mass of a boron compound and a calcium compound in total with respect to 100 parts by mass of the fired product.

A metering device (10) for withdrawing and dispensing a melt consisting of or containing an oxide fibre reinforced oxide ceramic composite material.

A method for manufacturing a pillar-shaped honeycomb structure filter including; attaching ceramic particles to a surface of the first cells by ejecting an aerosol including the ceramic particles toward the inlet side end surface from a direction perpendicular to the inlet side end surface while applying a suction force to the outlet side end surface to suck the ejected aerosol from the inlet side end surface, wherein the ejection of the aerosol is carried out using an aerosol generator including a drive gas flow path for flowing a pressurized drive gas, a supply port provided on the way of the drive gas flow path and capable of sucking the ceramic particles from an outer peripheral side of the drive gas flow path toward an inside of the drive gas flow path, and a nozzle attached to a tip of the drive gas flow path and capable of ejecting the aerosol.