Patent ID: 6945036

Claim:
An emission filter for regulating and reducing carbon-containing particulates included in an exhaust gas from an internal combustion engine, said emission filter comprising: a heat-resistant filter medium that collects a hydrocarbon compound and the carbon-containing particulates included in the exhaust gas in a dispersive manner to bring the respective particulates and hydrocarbon compound in contact with oxygen included in the exhaust gas, and thereby makes the collected hydrocarbon compound and the collected carbon-containing particulates subjected to combustion with the exhaust gas having a filter inflow temperature lower than a combustible temperature of the carbon-containing particulates without requiring use of catalyzing agents, wherein said heat-resistant filter medium utilizes heat of reaction of the collected hydrocarbon compound with oxygen included in the exhaust gas, so as to make the collected carbon-containing particulates subjected to combustion, said heat-resistant filter medium includes multiple pathways, which connect with one another in a three-dimensional manner inside said heat-resistant filter medium and are open to surface of said heat-resistant filter medium, and the multiple pathways included in said heat-resistant filter medium have a mean inner diameter in a range of 11 μm to 13 μm, the subject filter being self-reproducing without heating by a heater.