A plugged honeycomb structure includes intersecting porous walls extending in an axial direction between an inlet end and an outlet end of the honeycomb structure, the intersecting porous walls forming a matrix of repeating unit cells arranged in a repeating pattern. The repeating unit cells comprise: three or four channels, each channel formed by four walls, wherein the three or four channels comprise more inlet channels than outlet channels, at least one wall of an inlet channel or an outlet channel is intersected midwall by a wall, an area of an outlet channel is equal to or less than an area of any of the inlet channels, and continuous line segments extending along walls of at least three repeating unit cells. Other plugged honeycomb structures, plugged honeycomb bodies, honeycomb extrusion dies, and methods are disclosed.

A tool die for forming a green ceramic body. The tool die has a wear resistant coating that is deposited on a substrate and has an outer or free surface having a morphology that provides a mean roughness in a range from about 0.03 μm up to about 0.8 μm Rq. In one embodiment, the wear resistant coating has multiple alternating layers of fine grained and coarse grained materials. Methods of making the tool die and wear resistant coating are also provided.

A tool die for forming a green ceramic body. The tool die has a wear resistant coating that is deposited on a substrate and has an outer or free surface having a morphology that provides a mean roughness in a range from about 0.03 μm up to about 0.8 μm Rq. In one embodiment, the wear resistant coating has multiple alternating layers of fine grained and coarse grained materials. Methods of making the tool die and wear resistant coating are also provided.

A mouthpiece (10) for extruding a molding compound into a formed body which has internal channels, comprises: a mouthpiece frame (14) with a frame opening (16); a first core retaining plate (22) which is fastened in the area of an upstream end of the frame opening (16) when viewed in the flow direction (15) of the molding compound; and a plurality of longitudinal cores (28) which are axially and laterally held by an upstream end section (26) on the first core retaining plate (22). It is proposed that, furthermore, it comprises a second core retaining plate (36) which is loosely arranged downstream of the first core retaining plate (22) relative to the mouthpiece frame (14) in the flow direction (15), and in which the areas (32) of the cores (28) farther from the upstream end section (26) are arranged to be radially fixed but axially loose.

Certain exemplary embodiments can provide a manufacturing method, process, machine, and/or system for continuously consolidating granular materials, creating new alloys and/or composites, and/or modifying and/or refining material microstructure, by using plastic deformation of feedstock(s) provided in various structural forms. Materials produced during this process can be fabricated directly and/or in forms such as, e.g., wires, rods, tubes, sheets, plate and/or channels, etc.

A honeycomb extrusion die body (401) including inlet (414) and exit (402) faces, and a plurality of pins (406) on the exit face (402) defining a matrix of intersecting wide slots (425) and narrow slots (427). The wide slots (425) have an exit width (W1) greater than an exit width (W2) of the narrow slots (427). The die body (401) further includes feedholes (422) at the inlet face (414) and intersecting with inlet portions (416) to the wide slots (425) and/or the narrow slots (427). Some of the pins (406) defining the wide slots (425) include a first surface indentation feature (430) that is (i) located between the inlet portion (416) and the wide slot exit and (ii) spaced away from the wide slot exit. Some of the pins (406) defining the narrow slots (427) include a second surface indentation feature (434) that is (i) located between the inlet portion and the narrow slot exit and (ii) spaced away from the narrow slot exit.

Batch mixtures comprising alumina trihydrate for forming ceramic honeycomb bodies comprised of cordierite and methods of manufacturing honeycomb bodies from such batch mixtures are provided.

A method of producing a microparticle includes providing a mould assembly, which comprises two moulds that comprise an upper mould and a lower mould, positioning the mould assembly in a closed position, wherein the two moulds define a micro-cavity to exert pressure on a moulding material within the micro-cavity to form the moulding material into a microparticle, and positioning the mould assembly in an open position, wherein the microparticle adheres to one of the two moulds of the mould assembly.

A method of producing a microparticle includes providing a mould assembly, which comprises two moulds that comprise an upper mould and a lower mould, positioning the mould assembly in a closed position, wherein the two moulds define a micro-cavity to exert pressure on a moulding material within the micro-cavity to form the moulding material into a microparticle, and positioning the mould assembly in an open position, wherein the microparticle adheres to one of the two moulds of the mould assembly.

Kneading elements, extrusion apparatus, and methods of manufacturing honeycomb bodies are described herein. A kneading element (1802) has an inner surface (1804) defining an opening (1806) configured to couple the kneading element (1802) to a shaft (46,48). The kneading element (1802) also has a continuous closed curve elliptical outer surface (1808). The opening (1806) has an axis (1814) that is off-center with respect to a geometric center (1816) of the kneading element (1802) as viewed in a transverse plane perpendicular to the axis.