Patent ID: 8821661

Claim:
A method of manufacturing a honeycomb structure including a honeycomb unit, comprising: forming a honeycomb molded body having a plurality of cells extending from a first end face to a second end face of the honeycomb molded body along a longitudinal direction of the honeycomb molded body and separated by a plurality of cell walls, the honeycomb molded body containing inorganic particles, a molding aid, inorganic fibers and an organic binder, the inorganic particles including zeolite particles and having a specific surface area of approximately 50 m 2 /g or more; placing the honeycomb molded body in a degreasing apparatus so that the first end face faces downward and the second end face faces upward; feeding introduced gas into the degreasing apparatus, the introduced gas flowing from the first end face to the second end face inside the honeycomb molded body through the cells, the introduced gas including oxygen and nitrogen, a ratio of oxygen to nitrogen being approximately 1.5: approximately 98.5 (vol %) to approximately 5.5: approximately 94.5 (vol %); degreasing the honeycomb molded body at a temperature of approximately 200° C. to approximately 400° C.; introducing at least a part of the introduced gas discharged from the second end face of the honeycomb molded body into through holes of an oxidation catalyst; mixing the at least a part of the introduced gas after being oxidized through the oxidation catalyst with the introduced gas fed into the decreasing apparatus at a position higher than approximately a half of a height of the decreasing apparatus; guiding the introduced gas mixed with the at least a part of the introduced gas to a position lower than the first end face of the honeycomb molded body; and firing the degreased honeycomb molded body at a temperature of approximately 500° C. to approximately 900° C. to obtain the honeycomb unit.