OPEN-CELL EXPANDED CERAMIC WITH A HIGH LEVEL OF STRENGTH, AND PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION THEREOF

摘要

The invention relates to the field of ceramics and concerns an open-cell expanded ceramic which may be used in the form of a deep-bed filter, and a process for the production thereof. The object of the invention is to produce an open-cell expanded ceramic by a simple and economical process. The object is attained by an open-cell expanded ceramic in which the inner cavities, cracks and the porosity of the ceramic members are filled partially or completely by one or a plurality of metal and/or ceramic phases and/or glass phases. The open-cell expanded ceramic according to the invention is also produced in that during or after sintering the cavities, cracks and the porosity of the ceramic members are partially or completely filled with a melt or a suspension which melt below the melting temperature of the expanded ceramic, have a coefficient of expansion similar to the coefficient of expansion of the expanded ceramic, and a very good wetting capacity, and only react partially or not at all with constituents of the expanded ceramic.