Patent ID: 8404187
Filing Date: 2013-03-26
Classification: C04B,F01N

Abstract:
1. A device for the treatment of automotive exhaust gases comprising: a housing having an inlet at one end and an outlet at an opposite end through which exhaust gases flow; a fragile structure resiliently mounted within said housing, said fragile structure having an outer surface and an inlet end surface at one end in communication with said inlet of said housing and an outlet end surface at an opposite end in communication with said outlet end of said housing; a support element disposed between the housing and the fragile structure, said support element comprising an integral, substantially non-expanding ply of melt-formed ceramic fibers comprising about 40 weight percent to about 60 weight percent alumina and about 60 weight percent to about 40 weight percent silica, and a sacrificial binder, wherein said fibers having been prepared by a process including heat treating said fibers under a time-temperature regimen comprising heat treating said fibers at a temperature of 990° C. to at least 1050° C. for greater than 1 hour such that the treated fibers have about 5 to about 50 percent crystallinity as detected by x-ray diffraction, and a crystallite size of greater than 200 Å to about 500 Å; and wherein said support element exerts a minimum residual pressure for holding said fragile structure within said housing of one of at least 4 psi after 200 cycles of testing at 900° C. or at least 10 psi after 1000 cycles of testing at 750° C.