A pillar shaped honeycomb structure for induction heating, the honeycomb structure being made of ceramics and including: an outer peripheral wall; and a partition wall disposed on an inner side of the outer peripheral wall, the partition wall defining a plurality of cells, each of the cells penetrating from one end face to other end face to form a flow path, wherein a composite material containing a conductor and a non-conductor is provided in the cells in a region of 50% or less of the total length of the honeycomb structure from one end face, and wherein the conductor is a conductor that generates heat in response to a change in a magnetic field.

A pillar shaped honeycomb structure for induction heating, the honeycomb structure being made of ceramics and including: an outer peripheral wall; and a partition wall disposed on an inner side of the outer peripheral wall, the partition wall defining a plurality of cells, each of the cells penetrating from one end face to other end face to form a flow path, wherein a composite material containing a conductor and a non-conductor is provided in the cells in a region of 50% or less of the total length of the honeycomb structure from one end face, and wherein the conductor is a conductor that generates heat in response to a change in a magnetic field.

A bottom face processing method of a pillar-shaped honeycomb structure including steps of: preparing a pillar-shaped honeycomb structure including a plurality of first cells which extend in parallel with each other from a first bottom face to a second bottom face, and each of which is opened in the first bottom face and has a protruding plugged portion in the second bottom face, and a plurality of second cells each of which is adjacent to at least one of the first cells with a partition wall interposed therebetween, which extend in parallel with each other from the first bottom face to the second bottom face, and each of which has a protruding plugged portion in the first bottom face, and is opened in the second bottom face; and removing the protruding portion from the plugged portion of each of the first cells and the second cells of the pillar-shaped honeycomb structure.

A honeycomb structure, including: a plurality of pillar shaped honeycomb segments, each of the pillar shaped honeycomb segments including a partition wall and a plugged portion; and a joining layer arranged so as to join side surfaces of the pillar shaped honeycomb segments to each other. The honeycomb structure satisfies the following equations (1) to (3):
y≤1000  (1);
y≤717.92x.sup.−0.095  (2); and
y≥462.4x.sup.−0.153  (3),
in which y is a maximum temperature (° C.) at which the use of the honeycomb structure is accepted, and x is a thermal conduction factor represented by the following equation:
thermal conduction factor=(thermal conductivity of the partition wall×thermal conductivity of the joining layer)/(average thickness of the joining layer×porosity of the partition wall).

A honeycomb structure, including: a plurality of pillar shaped honeycomb segments, each of the pillar shaped honeycomb segments including a partition wall and a plugged portion; and a joining layer arranged so as to join side surfaces of the pillar shaped honeycomb segments to each other. The honeycomb structure satisfies the following equations (1) to (3):
y≤1000  (1);
y≤717.92x.sup.−0.095  (2); and
y≥462.4x.sup.−0.153  (3),
in which y is a maximum temperature (° C.) at which the use of the honeycomb structure is accepted, and x is a thermal conduction factor represented by the following equation:
thermal conduction factor=(thermal conductivity of the partition wall×thermal conductivity of the joining layer)/(average thickness of the joining layer×porosity of the partition wall).

A masking method for honeycomb formed body, including bonding a film on at least one bottom face of a honeycomb formed body in a quadrangular prism shape such that an adhesive surface is in contact with the bottom face. The step of bonding the film includes bonding of the film so as to have a bottom face covering portion that covers a whole surface of the bottom face and a pair of outer edge portions along one pair of opposite sides of a quadrangle defining an outer peripheral shape of the bottom face and a pair of protruding portions protruding from another pair of opposite sides of the quadrangle. At least a part of the adhesive surface of each of the pair of protruding portions is bonded so as to be in contact with a pair of opposing lateral faces of the honeycomb formed body.

A masking method for honeycomb formed body, including bonding a film on at least one bottom face of a honeycomb formed body in a quadrangular prism shape such that an adhesive surface is in contact with the bottom face. The step of bonding the film includes bonding of the film so as to have a bottom face covering portion that covers a whole surface of the bottom face and a pair of outer edge portions along one pair of opposite sides of a quadrangle defining an outer peripheral shape of the bottom face and a pair of protruding portions protruding from another pair of opposite sides of the quadrangle. At least a part of the adhesive surface of each of the pair of protruding portions is bonded so as to be in contact with a pair of opposing lateral faces of the honeycomb formed body.

A honeycomb structure includes honeycomb segments each having a porous partition wall defining a plurality of cells, and includes a porous bonding layer containing a crystalline anisotropic ceramic and disposed so as to bond side surfaces of the honeycomb segments to each other. A ratio of a pore volume (cc/g) of a fine pore defined as a pore in the bonding layer having a pore diameter of 10 μm or more and less than 50 μm with respect to a pore volume (cc/g) of a coarse pore defined as a pore in the bonding layer having a pore diameter of 50 μm or more and 300 μm or less is from 2.0 to 3.5, the pore volume of the fine pore is from 0.15 to 0.4 cc/g, and the pore volume of the coarse pore is from 0.05 to 0.25 cc/g.

In a porous body, a surface layer thickness Ts takes a relatively small value satisfying P≧0.54 Ts (formula (1)), the surface layer thickness Ts being derived by a microstructure analysis using the porous-body data that is prepared through three-dimensional scanning of a region including a surface (inflow plane 61) of the porous body. Here, P denotes a porosity [%] of the porous body, and 0%<P<100% and 0 μm<Ts are assumed. The surface layer thickness Ts is derived as a distance in a thickness direction (X direction) between a surface-layer region start plane 92 in which a straight-pore opening ratio becomes 98% or less for the first time and a surface-layer region end plane 93 in which the straight-pore opening ratio becomes 1% or less for the first time.

In a porous body, a surface layer thickness Ts takes a relatively small value satisfying P≧0.54 Ts (formula (1)), the surface layer thickness Ts being derived by a microstructure analysis using the porous-body data that is prepared through three-dimensional scanning of a region including a surface (inflow plane 61) of the porous body. Here, P denotes a porosity [%] of the porous body, and 0%<P<100% and 0 μm<Ts are assumed. The surface layer thickness Ts is derived as a distance in a thickness direction (X direction) between a surface-layer region start plane 92 in which a straight-pore opening ratio becomes 98% or less for the first time and a surface-layer region end plane 93 in which the straight-pore opening ratio becomes 1% or less for the first time.