Patent ID: 8389101

Claim:
A ceramic body comprising a predominant cordierite ceramic phase and at least about 0.1 wt % lanthanum oxide contained within the microstructure of the ceramic, the article exhibiting: a four-point beam bending modulus of rupture at 25° C. (room-temperature), MOR; a room-temperature elastic modulus E as measured by a sonic resonance technique at 25° C.; and a coefficient of thermal expansion CTE 200-1000 from 200° C.-1000° C. in units of ° C. −1 ; wherein the ceramic body is characterized by a dimensionless strain tolerance, defined by a ratio MOR/E, and a thermal shock resistance, defined by TSL 200 =200° C.+(MOR/E)/CTE 200-10000 , wherein the ceramic body exhibits MOR/E>0.12×10 −2 and TSL 200 ≧900° C. after being at room temperature and then being subjected to a heat treatment including being exposed to an environment with a temperature in a range of 800° C. to 1100° C. for at least 25 hours; and wherein the ceramic body contains 0.02 wt % or more of CaO.