A joined body 20 includes a first member 22 having a thermal expansion coefficient of 8 ppm/K or less, a second member 24 having a thermal expansion coefficient of 12 ppm/K or more, and a joining portion 30 composed of an electrically conductive oxide containing 50% by mass or more of a spinel-type ferrite phase, the joining portion 30 joining the first member and the second member. The electrically conductive oxide preferably contains Fe and element A (where element A represents one or more selected from the group consisting of Mg, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn). The molar ratio of element A to Fe, i.e., A/Fe, is 0.5 or less.

A silicon carbide ceramic honeycomb structure having large numbers of axially penetrating flow paths partitioned by porous silicon carbide cell walls, the cell walls having porosity of 35-50% and a median pore diameter of 8-18 ?m, when a straight line C is drawn in parallel with the cell wall surface such that it passes a center in the direction of the thickness T of the cell wall, and straight lines are drawn in parallel with the straight line C such that they are separate from the straight line C by ?T/5 and ?2T/5 in the thickness direction of the cell wall, to measure the lengths (pore widths) of pore portions crossing each straight line, and the number of pores crossing each straight line, in a cell wall cross section perpendicular to the axial direction, an average pore width W determined by averaging the lengths (pore widths) of all measured pore portions being 10-25 ?m, and the number N of pores per length determined by dividing the total number of the measured pores by the total length of the straight lines used for measurement being 20-40/mm.

A gypsum panel includes a gypsum core containing a termite repellent with poor water solubility, wherein the gypsum core has a first end region, a center region, and a second end region having an equal thickness and extending along a thickness direction from one surface side to another surface side, the termite repellent is contained in each of the first end region, the center region, and the second end region, and a content of the termite repellent in the center region is lower than a content of the termite repellent in the first end region and in the second end region.

Disclosed is a composite gypsum board comprising a board core and a concentrated layer of substantial thickness (e.g., at least about 0.02 inches). The concentrated layer includes a higher weight percentage of an enhancing additive than the hoard core. The board core has a thickness greater than the thickness of the concentrated layer and forms the bulk of the board volume. The concentrated layer has a higher density (e.g., at least about 1.1 times greater) than the density of the board core. Also disclosed is a method of preparing a composite gypsum board.

Disclosed is a composite gypsum board comprising a board core and a concentrated layer of substantial thickness (e.g., at least about 0.02 inches). The concentrated layer includes a higher weight percentage of an enhancing additive than the board core. The board core has a thickness greater than the thickness of the concentrated layer and forms the bulk of the board volume. The concentrated layer has a higher density (e.g., at least about 1.1 times greater) than the density of the board core. Also disclosed is a method of preparing a composite gypsum board.

Stone slabs, and systems and methods of forming slabs, are described. Some example slabs include a first pattern defined by a first particulate mineral mix and a second pattern defined by a second particulate mineral mix different from the first particulate mineral mix. Locations of the first pattern have a first average thickness perpendicular to the slab width and the slab length, and locations of the second pattern have a second average thickness perpendicular to the slab width and the slab length that is different from the first average thickness.

Disclosed is a draining composition for a light-traffic road pavement, including: (a) a first granular layer having a percentage of communicating voids ranging 25-50%, including a binder and a granular mixture of which at least 80% by weight, relative to the total weight of the granular mixture, has a granular size distribution range 4-20 mm, the layer having a thickness suitable for the pavement's mechanical strength; (b) a second granular layer having main lower and upper surfaces, the main lower surface resting directly on the first granular matrix and the main upper surface in direct contact with the air, the second granular layer being a granular mixture not bound by a binder and of which at least 80% by weight, relative to the total weight of the granular mixture, has a granular size distribution range 2-14 mm, the second granular layer having a thickness appropriate for water accumulation.

A method, including: laser heating heat-source material (18) disposed in ceramic material (16); and sintering the ceramic material using heat energy generated in the heat-source material by the laser heating to form sintered ceramic (32) having inconsistencies (40) caused by the heat-source material.

An exhaust treatment apparatus for treating exhaust gas flowing through an exhaust line housing from an upstream location to a downstream location in a downstream direction, the exhaust treatment apparatus comprising a ceramic filter body having a honeycomb structure of a plurality of intersecting porous ceramic walls extending from a first end to a second end in an axial direction and defining a plurality of channels extending in the axial direction, wherein a first transverse face at the first end comprises metal oxide particles affixed to a portion of the intersecting walls. The metal oxide particles may be affixed to the upstream end, or the downstream end, or both the upstream and downstream ends. Preferably the metal oxide particles provide reinforcement to the underlying portion of the walls, and of the honeycomb structure itself.

There is provided a honeycomb structure including a honeycomb base material including a porous partition wall parent material; plugged portions; and a porous collecting layer disposed on the surface of the partition wall parent material in the remaining cells. A melting point of a material constituting the collecting layer is higher than that of a material constituting the partition wall parent material, a pore surface area per unit volume of the collecting layer is 2.0 times or more a pore surface area per unit volume of the partition wall parent material, and a thickness of a portion of the collecting layer which penetrates into pores of the partition wall parent material is 6% or smaller of that of each of partition walls including the partition wall parent material and the collecting layer.