Patent ID: 6864198

Claim:
A cordierite ceramic body having (i) a pore size distribution and a porosity which satisfy the relationship 10.2474/[(d 50 ) 2 (pore fraction)]+0.0366183(d 90 )−0.00040119(d 90 ) 2 +0.468815(1/pore fraction) 2 +0.0297715(d 50 )+1.61639(d 50 −d 10 )/d 50 ≦3.65, and (ii) a CTE (25°-800° C.) of ≦15×10 −7 /° C., wherein the cordierite body meets one of the following two conditions: (i) the porosity is at least 43 and less than 50% or (ii) more than 15% of the porosity is finer than 10 micrometers, wherein the cordierite ceramic body is produced from a moldable mixture comprising cordierite-forming raw materials including (a) a fine talc having a median particle diameter, as measured by laser diffraction, of less than 10 micrometers, and a B.E.T. specific surface area of greater than 5 m 2 /g, and (b) a pore former.