A method and extrusion die to form a laminar integral skin of a honeycomb structure is provided. The method includes extruding a ceramic precursor batch through a die with feedholes in entry side and slots in exit face of the die to form the honeycomb structure. In a region on the periphery of the die configured to form the cell matrix, a series of concentric slots around the matrix in the exit face of the die are configured to feed skin onto the matrix. Ring sections between concentric slots are angled away from the center and a mask is disposed on top of the periphery producing a channel for extruded skin to meet and bond to extruded matrix. Optionally, slots in the skin-forming ring sections enhance knitting between laminar skin layers.

Disclosed is a honeycomb support structure comprising a honeycomb body and an outer layer or skin formed of a cement that includes an inorganic filler material having a first coefficient of thermal expansion from 25° C. to 600° C. and a crystalline inorganic fibrous material having a second coefficient of thermal expansion from 25° C. to 600° C.

Disclosed is a ceramic honeycomb structure comprising a honeycomb body and a multilayered outer layer formed of a thick core layer applied and rapidly dried and a thin clad layer dried more gently to form a crack free dual skin layer. The core layer may have properties that are closer to those of the ceramic honeycomb body in service than the clad layer that may provide a tough outer shell to withstand handling and assembly.

The honeycomb structure includes a pillar-shaped honeycomb structure body, and a circumferential coating layer disposed to surround a circumference of the honeycomb structure body, and cells which are formed at an outermost circumference of the honeycomb structure body and in which peripheries of the cells are defined by the partition walls without any lacks are defined as outermost circumference complete cells, and in a cross section of the honeycomb structure body which is perpendicular to an extending direction of the cells a minimum distance T (mm) among distances from the outermost circumference complete cells to the surface of the circumferential coating layer and a porosity P (%) of the circumferential coating layer satisfy relations of Equation (1) and Equation (2) as follows:

1.5≧T≧16×(100−P).sup.−1.4; and  Equation (1):

20≦P≦75.  Equation (2):

A method and extrusion die to form a laminar integral skin of a honeycomb structure is provided. The method includes extruding a ceramic precursor batch through a die with feedholes in entry side and slots in exit face of the die to form the honeycomb structure. In a region on the periphery of the die configured to form the cell matrix, a series of concentric slots around the matrix in the exit face of the die are configured to feed skin onto the matrix. Ring sections between concentric slots are angled away from the center and a mask is disposed on top of the periphery producing a channel for extruded skin to meet and bond to extruded matrix. Optionally, slots in the skin-forming ring sections enhance knitting between laminar skin layers.

An exhaust gas purification filter includes a cell assembly including cells each having a quadrangular cross-sectional shape and a partition wall, seal members, and a skin member. The partition wall has a porosity P1 of 50% to 70%, and the skin member has a porosity P2 of 50% to 70%, the porosity P1 and the porosity P2 satisfy a relationship P1<P2. A difference between the porosity P2 and the porosity P1 is 20% or less. The partition wall includes crossing portions, each cell has at least one part of an outer periphery defined by a corresponding one of the crossing portions, the at least one part is rounded to have a radius of curvature R, each cell has a radius r of a hydraulic diameter, the radius of curvature R and the radius r of the hydraulic diameter satisfy a relationship 0.2<R [mm]/r [mm]<1.

An exhaust gas purification filter includes a cell assembly including cells and a partition wall, seal members, and a skin member. The partition wall has a porosity of 50% to 70%. The skin member has a thickness T of 0.3 mm to 1.0 mm. The partition wall includes crossing portions, each cell has at least one part of an outer periphery defined by a corresponding one of the crossing portions, the at least one part of the outer periphery is rounded to have a value of radius of curvature R being 0.02 mm to 0.6 mm A degree of distortion δ being a degree of change in the external dimensions of the filter in axial direction, is greater than 0 and is 1.5 mm or less. A value of a structural variable X, expressed by Equation 1 below, is 0.05 to 6, X=T×R/δ . . . Equation 1.

A pillar shaped honeycomb structure including pillar shaped honeycomb segments joined together via joining material layers, wherein each of the pillar shaped honeycomb segment includes: an outer peripheral wall; and a porous partition wall disposed on an inner side of the outer peripheral wall, the partition wall defining a plurality of cells, each of the cells extending from one end face to other end face to form a flow path, and wherein a metal member is embedded in each of the joining material layer.

A ceramic honeycomb body having a skin that does not block partial cells extending from an inlet face to an outlet face at an outer periphery portion of the body. A method of making the ceramic honeycomb body having the skin includes disposing a sheet on an outer peripheral wall of a honeycomb core having an outer surface spaced apart from interiors of the partial cells and skinning the body having the sheet disposed thereon. Subsequent curing in the method bonds the skin to cell walls of the body spaced apart from interiors of the partial cells.

A honeycomb filter includes: a honeycomb substrate having porous partition walls disposed so as to surround cells extending from an inflow end face to an outflow end face, an outer peripheral coating layer disposed so as to surround an outer periphery of the honeycomb substrate, and plugging portions that are disposed at any one of ends on the inflow end face and ends on the outflow end face, of the cells, wherein, the outer peripheral coating layer has an inflection point at which thermal expansion in thermal expansion behavior of the outer peripheral coating layer turns to contraction and a temperature T1 of which is 1000 to 1500° C., and the outer peripheral coating layer has a porosity P1 of 36 to 48%, and a thermal expansion coefficient C1 between 40 to 800° C. of 2.5 to 3.5×10.sup.-6 /°C.