US 7,320,183 B2 | ||
Method for drying honeycomb formed structure | ||
Takeyuki Ishii, Nagoya (Japan); Yuji Asai, Chita (Japan); and Makoto Nakajo, Nagoya (Japan) | ||
Assigned to NGK Insulators, Ltd., Nagoya (Japan) | ||
Appl. No. 10/570,266 PCT Filed Sep. 02, 2004, PCT No. PCT/JP2004/012738 § 371(c)(1), (2), (4) Date Mar. 02, 2006, PCT Pub. No. WO2005/024326, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 17, 2005. |
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Claims priority of application No. 2003-312062 (JP), filed on Sep. 04, 2003. | ||
Prior Publication US 2006/0283039 A1, Dec. 21, 2006 | ||
Int. Cl. F26B 7/00 (2006.01); F26B 3/34 (2006.01); H05B 6/78 (2006.01); H05B 6/64 (2006.01) |
U.S. Cl. 34—429 [34/428; 34/440; 34/250; 34/254; 34/259; 34/264; 264/414; 264/432; 264/489; 219/700] | 9 Claims |
1. A method for drying a honeycomb formed structure, the method comprising
placing on a plurality of stands a plurality of honeycomb formed structures in an undried state (undried honeycomb formed
structures) which have been formed into a honeycomb structure a raw material composition containing a ceramic material, a
binder, and water;
causing the undried honeycomb formed structures placed on the stands to pass through a drying apparatus equipped with a high-frequency
heating means for providing a heated atmosphere from an entrance of the apparatus to an exit thereof;
drying the undried honeycomb formed structures through high-frequency heating, to thereby form dried honeycomb formed structures;
removing, from the stands, the dried honeycomb formed structures which have passed through the exit of the drying apparatus;
conveying the stands transferred through the exit of the drying apparatus to enter the entrance thereof in a circulating manner;
placing newly formed undried honeycomb formed structures on the stands which have been circulated and returned to enter the
entrance of the drying apparatus; and
repeating these operations,
wherein the stands which have been heated in the drying apparatus are cooled to a temperature lower than the gelation temperature
of the undried honeycomb formed structures until the stands are circulated and returned to enter the entrance of the drying
apparatus; the newly formed undried honeycomb formed structures are placed on the cooled stands; and the undried honeycomb
formed structures are caused to pass through the drying apparatus,
thereby preventing partial deformation of dried honeycomb formed structure products, which deformation might be caused by
localized heating, through heat from the stands, of portions of the undried honeycomb formed structures in contact with the
stands and portions in the vicinity thereof (contact portions) upon placement of the undried honeycomb formed structures on
the stands.
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