A superhard polycrystalline construction comprises a body of polycrystalline superhard material comprising a structure comprising superhard material, the structure having porosity greater than 20% by volume and up to around 80% by volume. A method of forming such a superhard polycrystalline construction comprises forming a skeleton structure of a first material having a plurality of voids, at least partially filling some or all of the voids with a second material to form a pre-sinter assembly, and treating the pre-sinter assembly to sinter together grains of superhard material to form a body of polycrystalline superhard material comprising a first region of superhard grains, and an interpenetrating second region; the second region being formed of the other of the first or second material that does not comprise the superhard grains; the superhard grains forming a sintered structure having a porosity greater than 20% by volume and up to around 80% by volume.

A method of applying a circumferential coating material on a circumferential surface of a ceramic honeycomb structure to form a circumferential coat layer. The method includes vertically aligning the longitudinal axis of the ceramic honeycomb structure, rotating the ceramic honeycomb structure around the vertically-aligned longitudinal axis, and applying the circumferential coating material on the circumferential surface of the rotating honeycomb structure at a discharge speed of 50 to 120 mm/s, calculated by
Discharge speed V [mm/s]=Supplied amount q [g/s] of circumferential coating material(Density [g/mm.sup.3] of circumferential coating materialArea S [mm.sup.2] of discharge opening).

A method for applying a coating 1 to a surface 2 of a mullite material 3 is specified, which comprises pretreating the surface 2 of the mullite material 3 by means of a plasma-chemical process in which molecular hydrogen is excited in such a way that plasma-activated hydrogen is produced S1, and applying an aluminum oxide-containing layer 4 by means of a PVD process to the pretreated surface 2 of the mullite material 3 S2. Furthermore, a mullite material 3 with a coating and a gas turbine component with such a mullite material 3 are specified.

A method for applying a coating 1 to a surface 2 of a mullite material 3 is specified, which comprises pretreating the surface 2 of the mullite material 3 by means of a plasma-chemical process in which molecular hydrogen is excited in such a way that plasma-activated hydrogen is produced S1, and applying an aluminum oxide-containing layer 4 by means of a PVD process to the pretreated surface 2 of the mullite material 3 S2. Furthermore, a mullite material 3 with a coating and a gas turbine component with such a mullite material 3 are specified.

A method of manufacturing a honeycomb structure, the method including: a circumferential coat layer forming process of applying a circumferential coating material on a circumferential surface of a ceramic honeycomb structure to form a circumferential coat layer, the circumferential coat layer forming process including: a rotating process of matching an axial direction of the honeycomb structure; and an applying process of discharging the circumferential coating material to apply the circumferential coating material on the circumferential surface of the honeycomb structure that rotates, wherein in the applying process, a discharge speed of the circumferential coating material, calculated by Equation (1), discharged from the discharge nozzle is 50 to 120 mm/s, and

Discharge speed V [mm/s]=Supplied amount q [g/s] of circumferential coating material(Density [g/mm.sup.3] of circumferential coating materialArea S [mm.sup.2] of discharge opening)(1).

Implantable medical devices are provided. In one embodiment, a device includes a body having an external surface defining an outer profile of the device. The body includes a porous matrix including a series of interconnected macropores defined by a plurality of interconnected struts each including a hollow interior. A filler material substantially fills at least a portion of the series of interconnected macropores. The external surface of the body includes a plurality of openings communicating with the hollow interior of at least a portion of the plurality of interconnected struts. In a further aspect of this embodiment, the external surface includes exposed areas of the filler material and porous matrix in addition to the exposed openings. In another aspect, the porous matrix is formed from a bioresorbable ceramic and the filler material is a biologically stable polymeric material. Still, other aspects related to this and other embodiments are also disclosed.

A superhard polycrystalline construction comprises a body of polycrystalline superhard material comprising a structure comprising superhard material, the structure having porosity greater than 20% by volume and up to around 80% by volume. A method of forming such a superhard polycrystalline construction comprises forming a skeleton structure of a first material having a plurality of voids, at least partially filling some or all of the voids with a second material to form a pre-sinter assembly, and treating the pre-sinter assembly to sinter together grains of superhard material to form a body of polycrystalline superhard material comprising a first region of superhard grains, and an interpenetrating second region; the second region being formed of the other of the first or second material that does not comprise the superhard grains; the superhard grains forming a sintered structure having a porosity greater than 20% by volume and up to around 80% by volume.