A ceramic mass which comprises - water-soluble cellulose ethers, wherein these water-soluble cellulose ethers are characterized in that - an alkaline solution of 1.0 part by weight of these cellulose ethers per 100 parts by weight of solution displays elastic properties in which the ratio of loss modulus G" to storage modulus G' (tan δ = G"/G') of the solution at a temperature of 20°C +/- 1 °C when using a solvent comprising 98 parts by weight of water and 2 parts by weight of sodium hydroxide per 100 parts by weight of solvent in a rheological oscillation experiment as a function of the angular frequency w in the linear viscoelastic region at angular frequencies of less than or equal to 100 rad/s has a value of less than 1.3 and - a solution of 1.5 parts by weight of the cellulose ethers per 100 parts by weight of solution has a capillary breakup time in an extensional flow experiment at a temperature of 20°C +/- 1 °C when using a solvent comprising 98 parts by weight of water and 2 parts by weight of sodium hydroxide per 100 parts by weight of solvent of 2.5 or more seconds; and - at least one compound from the group consisting of alumina, aluminum nitride and aluminum carbide, cordierite, mullite, silicon carbide, silicon boride, silicon nitride, titanium dioxide, titanium carbide, boron carbide, boron oxide, talc, silicon metal, carbon black, graphite, rare earth oxides and zeolites. - water-soluble cellulose ethers, wherein these water-soluble cellulose ethers are characterized in that - an alkaline solution of 1.0 part by weight of these cellulose ethers per 100 parts by weight of solution displays elastic properties in which the ratio of loss modulus G" to storage modulus G' (tan δ = G"/G') of the solution at a temperature of 20°C +/- 1 °C when using a solvent comprising 98 parts by weight of water and 2 parts by weight of sodium hydroxide per 100 parts by weight of solvent in a rheological oscillation experiment as a function of the angular frequency w in the linear viscoelastic region at angular frequencies of less than or equal to 100 rad/s has a value of less than 1.3 and - a solution of 1.5 parts by weight of the cellulose ethers per 100 parts by weight of solution has a capillary breakup time in an extensional flow experiment at a temperature of 20°C +/- 1 °C when using a solvent comprising 98 parts by weight of water and 2 parts by weight of sodium hydroxide per 100 parts by weight of solvent of 2.5 or more seconds; and - an alkaline solution of 1.0 part by weight of these cellulose ethers per 100 parts by weight of solution displays elastic properties in which the ratio of loss modulus G" to storage modulus G' (tan δ = G"/G') of the solution at a temperature of 20°C +/- 1 °C when using a solvent comprising 98 parts by weight of water and 2 parts by weight of sodium hydroxide per 100 parts by weight of solvent in a rheological oscillation experiment as a function of the angular frequency w in the linear viscoelastic region at angular frequencies of less than or equal to 100 rad/s has a value of less than 1.3 and - a solution of 1.5 parts by weight of the cellulose ethers per 100 parts by weight of solution has a capillary breakup time in an extensional flow experiment at a temperature of 20°C +/- 1 °C when using a solvent comprising 98 parts by weight of water and 2 parts by weight of sodium hydroxide per 100 parts by weight of solvent of 2.5 or more seconds; and - at least one compound from the group consisting of alumina, aluminum nitride and aluminum carbide, cordierite, mullite, silicon carbide, silicon boride, silicon nitride, titanium dioxide, titanium carbide, boron carbide, boron oxide, talc, silicon metal, carbon black, graphite, rare earth oxides and zeolites.