Noritake Co., Ltd.

Chubu Electric Power Company, Inc.

Kcm Corporation

Hisatomi Taguchi

Shigeo Nagaya

Kiyoshi Komura

Yasunori Ando

Balagopal N Nair

Atsushi Fukaya

Seiji Yamada

Yosuke Takahashi

Takehiro Suzuki

Hiroshi Yorita

Syozo Watanabe

Kiichi Hirano

Hiroshi Tenjikukatsura

Yuji Kamei

The present invention provides methods for making a microporous ceramic material using a metal silicon powder and including a reaction sintering process of the silicon. A material for forming a microporous ceramic material used in these methods includes a metal silicon powder, a silicon nitride powder and/or a silicon carbide powder, and if desired, a yttrium oxide powder and/or an aluminum oxide powder. These methods can make a microporous ceramic material that can be used preferably as a gas or liquid filter, a catalyst carrier or a support of a gas separation membrane.

Microporous ceramic materials

It is an object of the present invention to provide a ceramic member with excellent balance between oxygen ion conductivity and endurance (resistance to cracking and the like), an oxygen ion permeation module and a chemical reactor such as an oxygen separator, using such a ceramic member. The ceramic member with oxygen ion conductivity in accordance with the present invention has a perovskite-type crystal structure and a composition represented by the general formula:()()(where Ln represents at least one element selected from lanthanoids, and M represents at least one element selected from the group containing Sr, Ca, and Ba, 0&#x3c;x&#x3c;1, 0.4&#x2266;y&#x3c;1, x+y&#x2267;1). The oxygen ion permeation module composed by employing such a ceramic member can be used as a structural component of an oxygen separator, an oxidation reactor (for example, a reactor for partial oxidation of hydrocarbons), and the like.

Ceramic member with oxygen ion conductivity and use thereof

It is an object of the present invention to provide a raw material powder for stably obtaining a dense sinter that is prevented from cracking, and a method for manufacturing this powder, and a method for manufacturing a lanthanum-based oxide ion conductor in which this raw material powder is used. The raw material powder manufacturing method of the present invention is a method for manufacturing a raw material powder for forming an oxide ion conductor composed of a multi-component metal oxide including lanthanum or lanthanide, wherein a mixed powder blended such that all of the elements constituting said multi-component metal oxide are included is prefired, after which this prefired powder is exposed to water or moist gas so as to expand at least some of the particles in said powder. Alternatively, two types of mixed powder with different components are prefired separately, after which the prefired powders are blended in a specific ratio.

Raw material powder for molding oxide ion conductor, and method for manufacturing the same

The present invention provides a method for making a microporous ceramic material and includes the steps of (a) preparing a starting material for firing comprising a nonoxide ceramic precursor containing silicon as an essential component; (b) heating the starting material for firing in an atmosphere containing at least 1 mol % of hydrogen so as to form microporous ceramic product; and (c) cooling the microporous ceramic product.

Methods for making microporous ceramic materials

A monolithic ceramic filter having a portion of the partition wall of a honeycomb structure exposed with its end face on an outer wall surface of the structure and increased in thickness as compared to the remaining portion of the partition wall to form a flow resistance relaxing portion is disclosed. The monolithic ceramic filter may also have a groove-shaped recess which is separated via a partition from a liquid supply passage of a honeycomb structure and is in communication with the outside of the structure. The flow resistance of the filtrate within the partition walls may be diminished to enable efficient filtration. The filter is produced simply by extrusion molding. There is no necessity of forming holes for discharging the filtrate in some cases.

Monolithic ceramic filter

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Nagoya, Japan

Hisatomi Taguchi