A separator element comprising a porous rigid single-piece substrate (2) presenting firstly, at its periphery, a perimeter wall (2.sub.1) that is continuous between an inlet (4) for the fluid medium for treatment at one end of the porous substrate and an outlet (5) for the retentate at the other end of the porous substrate, and secondly, internally, a surface covered by a separator layer (6) and defining an open structure made up of empty spaces (3) for passing a flow of the fluid medium for treatment. The empty spaces (3) are arranged in the porous substrate so as to create within the porous substrate a first flow network (R1) for the fluid medium for treatment, having at least two interconnected flow circuits (R1.sub.1, R1.sub.2) for the fluid medium between the inlet (4) and the outlet (5) of the porous substrate.

A vehicular exhaust filter comprising a porous substrate having an inlet face and an outlet face with the porous substrate comprising inlet channels extending from the inlet face and outlet channels extending from the outlet face is disclosed. The inlet channels and the outlet channels are separated by a plurality of filter walls having a porous structure. The vehicular exhaust filter is loaded with a refractory powder having a tapped density before loading of less than 0.10 g/cm.sup.3 and the vehicular exhaust filter has a mass loading of the refractory powder of less than 10 g/l.

A porous ceramic structure includes a porous honeycomb structure composed primarily of cordierite, and Ce- and Zr-containing particles fixedly attached to the honeycomb structure. The Ce- and Zr-containing particles contain Ce and Zr. The Ce- and Zr-containing particles have a fixedly attached portion located inside the honeycomb structure and a protrusion contiguous with the fixedly attached portion and protruding from the honeycomb structure.

A porous ceramic structure includes a porous honeycomb structure composed primarily of cordierite, and Ce- and Zr-containing particles fixedly attached to the honeycomb structure. The Ce- and Zr-containing particles contain Ce and Zr. The Ce- and Zr-containing particles have a fixedly attached portion located inside the honeycomb structure and a protrusion contiguous with the fixedly attached portion and protruding from the honeycomb structure.

A filter element for a particle filter having a porous filter body made of a ceramic material and including a plurality of flow channels extending fluidically in parallel. It is provided that the filter body is provided at least in a part of the flow channels with a coating made of a coating material, which is different from the ceramic material and is made up of orthorhombic crystals, namely sepiolite. The coating forms an outer layer of the filter element.

A filter element for a particle filter having a porous filter body made of a ceramic material and including a plurality of flow channels extending fluidically in parallel. It is provided that the filter body is provided at least in a part of the flow channels with a coating made of a coating material, which is different from the ceramic material and is made up of orthorhombic crystals, namely sepiolite. The coating forms an outer layer of the filter element.

Filtration articles herein exhibit excellent filtration efficiency and pressure drop before and after water durability testing. The articles comprise: a honeycomb filter body; inorganic deposits disposed within the honeycomb filter body at a loading of less than or equal to 20 grams of the inorganic deposits per liter of the honeycomb filter body. The inorganic deposits are comprised of refractory inorganic nanoparticles bound by a high temperature binder comprising one or more inorganic components. At least a portion of the inorganic deposits form a porous inorganic network over portions of inlet walls of the honeycomb filter body.

Filtration articles herein exhibit excellent filtration efficiency and pressure drop before and after water durability testing. The articles comprise: a honeycomb filter body; inorganic deposits disposed within the honeycomb filter body at a loading of less than or equal to 20 grams of the inorganic deposits per liter of the honeycomb filter body. The inorganic deposits are comprised of refractory inorganic nanoparticles bound by a high temperature binder comprising one or more inorganic components. At least a portion of the inorganic deposits form a porous inorganic network over portions of inlet walls of the honeycomb filter body.

A material contains open pores in which the channels and pores that are internally coated with at least one layer of phosphorus-containing alumina. Such material is formed by infiltrating a porous material one or more times with a non-colloidal, low-viscosity liquid coating precursor, drying, and curing the coating precursor to form a phosphorus-containing alumina layer within pores of the material.

A material contains open pores in which the channels and pores that are internally coated with at least one layer of phosphorus-containing alumina. Such material is formed by infiltrating a porous material one or more times with a non-colloidal, low-viscosity liquid coating precursor, drying, and curing the coating precursor to form a phosphorus-containing alumina layer within pores of the material.