JP2007296806A - Method for sealing end part of through-passage of honeycomb structure with sealing material, and apparatus for sealing end part - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for sealing at least one end part of through-passages using a sealing material on at least one end surface of first and second end surfaces in a honeycomb structure which has the through-passages passing from the first end surface to the second end surface with partitioning walls. <P>SOLUTION: The method comprises steps of: preparing mask plates having injecting pipes provided on a front surface and through-holes provided coaxially with the injecting pipes so that the injection pipes match with the front surface, a back surface and a pattern of through-passages to be sealed which are formed on the end surface to be sealed with the sealing material; installing delivery vessels having delivery surfaces of the sealing material so that the delivery surfaces contact the front surfaces of the mask plates; butting the front surfaces of the mask plates against the end surfaces to be sealed with the sealing material of the honeycomb structure; adding the sealing material to the delivery vessels; and delivering the sealing material from the delivery vessels to the end surfaces of the through-passages to be sealed by way of the mask plates. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for sealing a through-flow passage end portion of a honeycomb structure in which a plurality of through-flow passages are arranged in the longitudinal direction with a sealing material, and an end sealing device used for such processing. .

  Recently, it has become a problem that particulates such as soot contained in exhaust gas discharged from vehicles such as buses and trucks and internal combustion engines such as construction machines affect the environment and the human body.

  Therefore, various honeycomb structures made of porous ceramics have been proposed as filters for collecting particulates in exhaust gas and purifying the exhaust gas. For example, an example is shown in which a honeycomb structure made of a columnar porous ceramic in which a plurality of through channels are arranged in parallel in the longitudinal direction through partition walls is used as a filter. In this honeycomb structure, since either one end of each through-flow passage is sealed with a sealing material, the exhaust gas introduced into the honeycomb structure inevitably passes through the partition walls. It is discharged outside the honeycomb structure. Therefore, when the exhaust gas passes through the partition wall, particulates and the like in the exhaust gas can be captured (Patent Document 1).

Further, in the honeycomb structure having the above-described shape, the sealing material adheres to the end of a through-flow channel (hereinafter referred to as an open through-flow channel) that is not intended to be sealed with the sealing material. In order to prevent the cross-sectional area at the end of the flow path from decreasing and the pressure loss of the exhaust gas from increasing, a method for filling the end of a predetermined through flow path with a sealing material using a dedicated sealing device Is disclosed (Patent Document 2).
JP 2002-219319 A JP 2002-210723 A

  In the method disclosed in Patent Document 2, the following operation is performed when sealing the end of the through flow path. First, a discharge tank containing a sealing material paste and a mask plate are prepared, and one surface of the mask plate is brought into close contact with the discharge surface of the discharge tank in advance. In this mask plate, through holes are formed at positions corresponding to the opening arrangement of the through channels to be sealed of the honeycomb structure when the mask plate is brought into contact with the end face of the honeycomb structure. Next, the side of the mask plate that is not bonded to the discharge tank is brought into contact with the end face of the honeycomb structure. Next, when pressure is applied to the plug material paste in the discharge tank, the plug material paste flows into the predetermined through channel of the honeycomb structure through the through holes provided in the mask plate. Next, before (or after) separating the mask plate and the discharge tank from the honeycomb structure, the honeycomb structure is vibrated to prevent the sealing material paste from protruding or dripping from the end of the predetermined through-flow passage. To do. Thereby, it can prevent that a sealing material paste adheres to an open penetration channel at the time of sealing.

  However, in such a method, if the viscosity and fluidity of the sealing material are strictly controlled and these are not maintained within a preferable range, the sealing material paste is formed inside the honeycomb structure during vibration. There exists a problem that it will flow and it will become impossible to install sealing material paste in an appropriate position. In addition, in a honeycomb structure having a high cell density (small cross section of the through channel) or a honeycomb structure having a poor end face flatness, there is a problem that the sealing material filled in the through channel may protrude. .

  The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and when the end of the through channel to be sealed in the honeycomb structure is sealed with a sealing material paste, the open through channel is sealed. Providing a method for sealing a through-flow path of a honeycomb structure, in which a material paste is less likely to be attached, and can be easily filled only in a through-flow path to be sealed, and such It is an object of the present invention to provide an end sealing device used in the method.

In the present invention, at least one end face of the first and second end faces of the honeycomb structure in which a plurality of through passages penetrating from the first end face to the second end face are formed via the partition walls. A method of sealing at least one end of the plurality of through channels with a sealing material,
Through-flow of a honeycomb structure using a mask plate having an outer shape equal to or smaller than the cross-sectional dimension of the through-flow path and provided with injection pipes arranged to match the pattern of the through-flow path to be sealed A method of sealing the end of a path with a sealant is provided. By sealing the end portion of the honeycomb structure by such a method, it is possible to prevent the sealing material filled in the through flow path from protruding, and the end portion of the open through flow path includes the sealing material. It is possible to easily fill the sealing material paste only at the end of the through-flow passage to be sealed without attaching the paste.

Here, the method matches the front and back surfaces wider than the end surface sealed with the sealing material of the honeycomb structure, and the pattern of the through flow path sealed at the end surface sealed with the sealing material. An injection pipe provided on the surface, and a through-hole provided coaxially with the injection pipe, the opening dimension of the through-hole on the surface being equal to or less than the outer peripheral dimension at the same position of the injection pipe; Preparing a mask plate comprising:
Installing a discharge tank having a discharge surface of a sealing material so that the discharge surface is in contact with the back surface of the mask plate;
Bringing the surface of the mask plate into contact with the end face sealed with the sealing material of the honeycomb structure; and
Adding a sealing material to the discharge tank;
Discharging the sealing material from the discharge tank to the end of the through-flow path to be sealed, through the through-hole and the injection pipe of the mask plate;
You may have.

  In the present application, the term “sealing material” includes, in addition to the sealing material fixed in the through-flow path, a sealing material paste before fixing, which is a raw material of the sealing material. included. It should also be noted that the order of steps performed in the method is not particularly important. For example, the step of contacting the end face of the honeycomb structure sealed with the sealing material and the step of adding the sealing material to the discharge tank may be performed in the reverse order depending on the situation. good.

The mask plate has a protrusion on the surface,
The protrusion may include a step of deforming an end portion of the through-flow path that is not filled with the sealing material on the end surface sealed with the sealing material of the honeycomb structure. In a honeycomb structure manufactured by such a sealing method, it is possible to more easily prevent the occurrence of protrusions and gaps, and lower the pressure loss on the inlet side and the outlet side when circulating the exhaust gas. It will be possible to suppress this.

Further, in the present invention, at least one of the first and second end surfaces of the honeycomb structure in which a plurality of through passages penetrating from the first end surface to the second end surface are formed via the partition walls. In the end face, an end sealing device for sealing at least one end of the plurality of through channels with a sealing material,
A front surface and a rear surface wider than the end surfaces sealed with the sealing material of the honeycomb structure,
An injection pipe provided on the surface so as to match the pattern of the through-flow path sealed at the end surface sealed with the sealing material;
A through hole provided coaxially with the injection pipe, wherein the opening size of the through hole on the surface is equal to or less than the outer peripheral size of the same position of the injection pipe; and
There is provided an end sealing device characterized by having a mask plate comprising: By using such an end sealing device, it is possible to easily fill the sealing material paste only at the end of the through channel to be sealed.

  Here, the mask plate may further include, on the surface, a protrusion that deforms an end portion of the through-flow path that is not filled with the sealing material on the end surface that is sealed with the sealing material of the honeycomb structure. As a result, as described above, it is considered that it is possible to more easily prevent the protrusion and the gap from occurring and to suppress the pressure loss of the obtained honeycomb structure to a low level.

  In the present invention, when the end portion of the through flow path of the honeycomb structure is sealed with the plug material paste, the plug material paste can be appropriately filled only in the through flow path to be sealed. it can.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  The honeycomb structure to be sealed according to the present invention is manufactured by molding a mixed composition mainly composed of ceramic powder and a binder. When manufacturing this honeycomb structure, first, a ceramic powder, a binder, and the like are mixed to prepare a mixed composition for manufacturing the honeycomb structure, and then a molded body is manufactured by extrusion molding or the like of this mixed composition. To do.

  Next, a honeycomb structure in which a large number of through-flow passages are arranged in parallel in the longitudinal direction with a partition wall therebetween is obtained by scattering moisture and the like in the formed body by drying. The honeycomb structure has, for example, a prismatic shape or a cylindrical shape, but may have other shapes.

  Examples of the ceramic powder include non-oxide ceramic powders such as silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, boron nitride, titanium nitride, titanium carbide, alumina, cordierite, mullite, silica, zirconia, titania, titanic acid. An oxide ceramic powder such as aluminum can be used.

  Among these, silicon carbide having excellent thermal conductivity after firing, aluminum titanate having a small coefficient of thermal expansion after firing, and the like are preferable.

  The particle size of these ceramic powders is not particularly limited, but those having less shrinkage in the subsequent firing step are preferable, for example, 100 parts by mass of powder having an average particle size of about 0.3 to 50 μm, and 0.1 to A combination of 5 to 65 parts by mass of powder having an average particle size of about 1.0 μm is preferable.

  As the binder, for example, polyethylene glycol, polyvinyl alcohol, methyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose and the like can be used. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more. Among the organic binders, methylcellulose is desirable. Moreover, the blending amount of the binder is usually preferably about 1 to 10 parts by mass with respect to 10 parts by mass of the ceramic powder.

  Examples of the dispersion solution that imparts fluidity to the mixed composition include organic solvents such as benzene, alcohols such as methanol, water, and the like.

  A porous honeycomb structure can be obtained by firing the honeycomb structure at a high temperature of, for example, about 1600 ° C. to 2200 ° C. for about 3 to 10 hours. Such a honeycomb structure is used as, for example, a filter (diesel particulate filter: DPF) that collects particulates or the like in exhaust gas.

  Next, a method for sealing the honeycomb structure using the end sealing device according to the present invention will be described. Note that the following description shows a method of performing sealing on a honeycomb structure configured such that the through flow path has a square opening. However, the present invention is not limited to a specific honeycomb structure.

  FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing how a honeycomb structure is sealed using the end sealing device of the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows the end sealing device shown in FIG. It is a partial expanded sectional view. 3 and 4 are a top view of the mask plate 150 included in the end sealing device and a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 3, respectively.

  The end sealing device 100 includes two container-like paste discharge tanks 116 each having a discharge surface on one side surface, and a mask plate 150 is installed on the discharge surface of the paste discharge tank 116. . The mask plate 150 is made of a rigid material such as metal. The two paste discharge tanks 116 are spaced apart so that the mask plates 150 face each other with the honeycomb structure 105 interposed therebetween. The surface of the mask plate 150 that is not in contact with the paste discharge tank 116 (hereinafter referred to as the surface 150 a of the mask plate 150) is in close contact with the end surface of the honeycomb structure 105.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a large number of injection pipes 132 are provided on the surface 150a of the mask plate 150 so as to protrude from the surface 150a of the mask plate substantially perpendicularly to the surface. When the mask plate 150 is arranged at an appropriate position with respect to the honeycomb structure 105, 132 is arranged so as to coincide with the arrangement pattern of the through flow passages 110 to be sealed in the honeycomb structure 105. In the case of this example, the arrangement pattern of the injection pipes 132 is a checkered pattern. The injection pipe 132 is made of a metal tube or the like and has a hollow inside. However, the shape of the injection pipe 132 is not particularly limited, and various shapes such as a prismatic shape as well as a cylindrical shape as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 can be used. The method for installing the injection pipe 132 on the mask plate 150 is not particularly limited, and conventional methods such as welding and bonding with an adhesive can be used. (The broken line drawn in FIG. 3 schematically shows the opening pattern formed on the end face of the honeycomb structure 105 to be contacted. There is no straight line.)

  Further, the mask plate 150 is provided with a through hole 131 coaxially with the injection pipe 132. The size of the opening formed on the surface 150a of the mask plate 150 by the through hole 131 is equal to or smaller than the size of the internal shape at the same position of the injection pipe 132 (because the injection pipe 132 exists, In other words, the through-hole 131 cannot be viewed from the surface 150a side of the mask plate 150). Therefore, the fluid on the back surface 150 b side of the mask plate 150 (the surface where the injection pipe 132 is not installed) can flow out of the injection pipe 132 through the through hole 131. In FIG. 4, the through hole 131 is drawn with a constant dimension over the entire axial direction, but the shape of the through hole 131 is not limited to such a shape. If the above-described dimensional relationship with the injection pipe 132 is satisfied, the through-hole 131 may be formed, for example, so that the opening size is different between the back surface 150b and the front surface 150a of the mask plate 150 (normally, the back surface (Opening size at 150b ≧ opening size at surface 150b).

  In FIG. 3, the mask plate 150 is shown as having 32 injection pipes 132. However, in the actual mask plate, the through-flow to be sealed by the honeycomb structure 105 that is in contact with the surface 150a is shown. It will be apparent that a number of injection pipes 132 corresponding to the path 110 are installed. The paste discharge tank 116 is filled with a sealing material paste 120, and the paste discharge tank 116 is connected to a pressure applying means (not shown) for applying pressure to the inside.

  Also, in FIG. 1, the end sealing device 100 is shown as having two sets of mask plates 150 / paste discharge tanks 116, but in another embodiment, the end sealing device is a set of one. Only the mask plate 150 / paste discharge tank 116 may be provided, and only one end face of the honeycomb structure 105 may be sealed at a time. Further, the above-mentioned sealing material paste 120 is not particularly limited, but is preferably one that is easily integrated with the honeycomb structure 105 when fired, and is substantially equivalent to the mixed composition used when the honeycomb structure 105 is manufactured. Or a component obtained by further adding a dispersion solvent to these components.

  Next, a method of filling the end portion of the through-flow channel 110 to be sealed in the honeycomb structure 105 with the sealing material paste 120 using the above-described end portion sealing apparatus 100 will be described.

  FIG. 5 shows a flow chart of the sealing method.

  First, in step S100, a honeycomb structure 105 to be sealed is prepared. The honeycomb structure 105 is prepared by the method described above. Next, in step S110, the mask plate 150 and the discharge tank 116 described above are prepared, and the mask plate 150 is attached to the discharge surface of the discharge tank 116 by, for example, bolts / nuts. Or as another aspect, you may use what the mask board 150 and the discharge tank 116 were originally formed integrally.

  Next, in step S <b> 120, the sealing material paste 120 is added to the paste discharge tank 116.

  Next, in step S130, the mask plate 150 (that is also the paste discharge tank 116) is arranged so that the surface 150a of the mask plate 150 abuts on the end face having the opening of the honeycomb structure 105. Here, since each injection pipe 132 is arranged on the surface 150a of the mask plate 150 in the above-described positional relationship, each injection pipe 132 is substantially centered in the through flow path 110 to be sealed by this step. Inserted into. In this step, the mask plate 150 may be brought into contact with each of both end faces having the openings of the honeycomb structure 105, or the mask plate 150 may be brought into contact with only one of the end faces. Also good. That is, the sealing may be performed on both end surfaces having openings of the honeycomb structure 105 at once, or may be performed separately for each end surface (or only on one end surface). This step may be performed before step S120. Further, the steps S100, S110, and S130 can be performed in parallel (substantially simultaneously).

  Furthermore, in step S140, the honeycomb structure 105 is applied to the sealing material paste 120 through the through holes 131 and the injection pipes 132 of the mask plate 150 by applying pressure into the paste discharge tank 116 using pressure means. It inject | pours into the penetration flow-path edge part which should be sealed. The pressure means for applying pressure to the paste discharge tank 116 is not particularly limited. For example, a device for press-fitting a gas such as air, the volume inside the paste discharge tank 116 is reduced (the paste discharge tank 116 has a constant volume). Examples thereof include a device for applying pressure by immersing the member, a device for press-fitting the sealing material paste 120 using a pump or the like.

  As described above, when the plug material paste 120 is filled in the through flow passage 110 to be sealed of the honeycomb structure 105, the pressure applied to the paste discharge tank 116 is controlled to discharge from the injection pipe of the mask plate 150. The discharge speed and discharge amount of the sealing material paste 120 to be applied can be adjusted. Therefore, a predetermined amount of the sealing material paste 120 can be filled into the through-flow channel 110 to be sealed, and the filling amount of the sealing material paste 120 is insufficient, and a gap or the like is generated at the end. Can be prevented. The paste discharge tank 116 is a hermetically sealed type, and there is no flow path for the sealing material paste to flow out of the mask plate other than the injection pipe 132 and the through hole 131. Therefore, the sealing material paste 120 is prevented from leaking from an unintended portion of the paste discharge tank 116, and the sealing material paste 120 is prevented from adhering to a portion other than the through channel 110 to be sealed of the honeycomb structure 105. be able to.

  After filling with the sealing material paste 120, the paste discharge tank 116 (and the mask plate 150) is removed from the honeycomb structure 105. Here, the operation of removing the mask plate 150 from the honeycomb structure 105 is more likely to be performed at the end portion of the sealing material paste 120 than when the predetermined amount of the sealing material paste 120 is injected into the end portion. In addition, it is preferable to carry out gradually. That is, in the first stage, the mask plate 150 is brought into contact with the end face of the honeycomb structure 105, and after the injection of the sealing material paste 120 from the injection pipe 132 is started, the mask plate 155 is attached to the honeycomb structure 105. The mask plate 150 is completely removed from the honeycomb structure 105 at the timing when the injection of a predetermined amount of the sealing material paste 120 is completed. In such an operation, the amount of the sealing material paste 120 adhering to the injection pipe 132 can be minimized, and dripping of the sealing material paste 120 is more reliably suppressed. It is possible to more reliably prevent the sealing material paste 120 from adhering.

  Finally, in step S150, the end portion of the through channel to be sealed is sealed with the sealing material by drying and fixing the sealing material paste.

  Here, in order to understand the effect of this invention more, the conventional sealing method is demonstrated easily. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of a conventional end sealing device for sealing a honeycomb structure. The figure also shows an enlarged cross-sectional view of the mask plate 150 to show how the plug material paste is injected into the honeycomb structure. In the conventional method, the sealing material paste 120 is filled into the through channel 110 of the honeycomb structure 105 using the mask plate 150 having the through holes 131. That is, the sealing material paste 120 is introduced from the discharge tank 116 into the through flow path 110 to be sealed through the through holes 131 provided in the mask plate 150. However, in this method, there is a high possibility that the sealing material paste 120 adheres to the open through flow path due to liquid leakage of the sealing material paste 120 from the mask plate 150 or the like. In the case of this method, the mask plate 150 is formed with a through-hole 131 having substantially the same size as the opening of the through-flow passage 110 of the honeycomb structure 105. This is because the sealing material paste 120 oozes out from the gap 133 generated on the contact surface with the mask plate 150. Further, even if the contact surfaces of both are made flat as much as possible so that the gap 133 does not occur, when the mask 150 is pulled away from the honeycomb structure 105, the sealing that was on the front end side of the through-flow channel 110 is obtained. The sealing material paste 120 hangs down, and the sealing material paste 120 adheres to a location that is not intended to be installed. (Such a problem is likely to occur particularly when the cell density is high (the through-flow passage has a small cross section).) Therefore, in order to avoid such a problem, in the conventional sealing method, the sealing material paste 120 is used. After filling the through channel 110 to be sealed, the honeycomb structure 105 is further subjected to vibration treatment.

  In this vibration treatment, the honeycomb structure 105 is vibrated in order to prevent dripping of the sealing material paste 120 from the end portion of the through flow path 110. However, this vibration causes the sealing material paste 120 to flow inward from the front end side of the through-flow channel 110, so that the sealing material paste flows too much depending on the viscosity and fluidity of the sealing material paste. . Therefore, the problem that it becomes impossible to install the sealing material paste 120 in an appropriate position arises. In particular, when there is no sufficient sealing material paste 120 for closing the tip of the through-flow channel 110 to be sealed at the end of the through-flow channel 110, a gap is generated at the end of the through-flow channel 110. . In addition, because of the vibration treatment, it is necessary to install a vibration device that is not directly related to sealing, resulting in a problem that the cost of the device is increased.

  On the other hand, in the method of the present invention, even if a gap is generated in the vicinity of the contact surface between the mask plate 150 and the through channel 110 to be sealed, the sealing material paste 120 passes through the injection pipe 132. Therefore, leakage of the sealing material paste 120 from the gap during injection and dripping of the sealing material paste 120 when the mask plate 150 is removed are unlikely to occur. In particular, as described above, when the mask plate 150 is removed while gradually moving the mask plate 150 in a direction away from the honeycomb structure 105 in accordance with the injection state of the sealant paste 120, It is possible to prevent dripping more reliably.

  As described above, according to the sealing method of the present invention, when the sealing material paste 120 is placed at the end of the through-flow channel 110 to be sealed in the honeycomb structure 105, the liquid of the sealing material paste 120 Leakage or the like does not occur, and the plug material paste 120 does not adhere to an undesired location, and the honeycomb structure 105 filled with the plug material paste 120 can be easily formed only at the end of the necessary through-flow channel 110. Obtainable. Therefore, in such a honeycomb structure, the end cross-sectional area of the open through passage is maintained at a predetermined value, and the pressure loss when the exhaust gas or the like is circulated through the honeycomb structure can be kept small.

  Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described. In this embodiment, in addition to sealing the end of the through channel to be sealed, the end of the open through channel can be deformed (hereinafter, such a processing method is referred to as “deformation sealing method”). ").

  In FIG. 7, the top view of another mask board 155 used for sealing of this invention is shown. FIG. 8 shows a cross-sectional view of the mask plate 155 of FIG. The mask plate 155 has an injection pipe 132 and a through hole 131, which are arranged in the same state as the injection pipe 132 and the through hole 131 of the mask plate 150 shown in FIG. However, this mask plate 155 further has a quadrangular pyramid-shaped projection 136, and this projection 136 is installed on the surface 155a of the mask plate 155 so as to have a checkered pattern arrangement opposite to the injection pipe 132. . The protrusion 136 is made of a rigid material such as metal.

  Here, in FIGS. 7 and 8, the size of the bottom surface of the protrusion 136 is larger than the opening size of the open through-flow passage 110 ′ of the honeycomb structure before deformation. Further, the height of the protrusion 136 is shown to be approximately half or less than the height of the injection pipe 132. Also, the angles α and β (see FIG. 8) formed by the protrusion 136 with the mask plate surface are both shown to be about 60 °. However, the height of the protrusion 136 is not particularly limited. Further, the angle of the protrusion is not particularly limited, and may be α = β or α ≠ β. That is, it is not always necessary to deform the distal end portion of the release through-flow channel 110 ′ symmetrically in the horizontal and vertical directions. Furthermore, the shape of the protrusion 136 is not limited to the quadrangular pyramid shape as shown in the figure, and at least a part of the tip end portion of the release through-flow channel 110 ′ is outward (that is, the cross-sectional area is increased). Any shape can be used as long as it can be deformed. In the case where the distal end portion of the release through-flow channel 110 ′ has a quadrangular shape as in the present embodiment, for example, a protrusion 136 that deforms only two opposing sides outward may be provided. That is, the actual shape of the protrusion 136 is determined according to the target deformation amount and deformation shape of the tip of the release through-flow channel 110 ′. However, the dimension of the protrusion 136 is such that the tip of the open through-flow passage 110 ′ of the honeycomb structure 105 in contact with the protrusion 136 does not come into contact with the injection pipe 132 when undergoing deformation as described below. You need to keep in mind that you have to. This is because when the deformed tip comes into contact with the injection pipe 132, this portion may be damaged.

  When such a mask plate 155 is used for sealing the end face of the honeycomb structure, it is opened at the same time as the end of the through-flow passage 110 to be sealed or at a different timing. It becomes possible to deform the end of the through-flow channel 110 ′ outward. Therefore, it is possible to further prevent the sealing material from protruding and the generation of gaps, and in the honeycomb structure, the fluid flowing through the through passage (when flowing into the product and / or when being discharged from the product) ) It is thought that pressure loss can be reduced.

  Hereinafter, a modified sealing method using the mask plate 155 will be described in detail.

  FIG. 9 shows a flowchart of the modified sealing method. FIG. 10 schematically shows each stage of the deformation sealing method performed on the end portion having the opening of the honeycomb structure.

  Also in this modified sealing method, the processes from step S200 to step S230 are the same as the sealing process shown in FIG. 5 (corresponding to the stage of FIG. 10A). That is, in step S220, the sealing material paste 120 is added into the paste discharge tank 116, and in step S230, the mask plate 155 is installed on the end face of the honeycomb structure 105. Moreover, this step S230 may be performed before step S220. Further, the steps S200, S210, and S230 can be performed in parallel.

  Next, in step S240, the open through flow passage 110 'is deformed by the contact between the mask plate 155 and the end face of the honeycomb structure 105. That is, since the mask plate 155 has the protrusions 136 arranged in the above-mentioned checkerboard pattern, the end of the open through-flow passage 110 ′ of the honeycomb structure 105 is pressed into the FIG. 10B by the pressing from the protrusion 136. Subject to deformation as shown. In other words, the barrier that forms the open through flow path 110 ′ is deformed such that the tip end portion extends outward.

  Next, in step S250, as shown in FIG. 10 (c), the sealing material paste 120 is applied to the end of the through-flow channel 110 to be sealed while the end face of the honeycomb structure is deformed. Injected. After a predetermined amount of the sealing material paste 120 is filled in the through-flow channel 110 to be sealed, the mask plate 155 is moved away from the honeycomb structure 105, and the mask plate 155 is removed from the honeycomb structure 105. (FIG. 10D). In the removal step here, it is preferable to inject the sealing material paste 120 while gradually moving the mask plate 155 in the direction away from the honeycomb structure 105 as in the case of FIG. 5 described above.

  Thus, by sealing the honeycomb structure 105 using the mask plate 155 of the present invention, the end of the open through-flow passage 110 ′ is deformed simultaneously with the sealing of the through-flow passage 110 to be sealed. It becomes possible to make it.

Note that the deformation process of the end of the through flow passage shown in step S240 may be performed at any of the following stages in relation to the honeycomb structure:
(A) Immediately after obtaining a honeycomb structure by extrusion molding of the mixed composition;
(B) After drying the honeycomb structure obtained by the extrusion processing of (A) with a microwave dryer.

  When the deformation process is performed at the stage (A), since the honeycomb structure is in a semi-lived state, the end portion of the through channel can be deformed with a smaller pressure. However, there is a high possibility that distortion occurs in the entire honeycomb structure as compared with other cases. On the other hand, when the deformation process is performed at the stage (B), since the honeycomb structure is cured to some extent, there is little possibility of distortion as in the case (A). In addition, compared with the case of (A), the pressure required for the deformation of the end portion of the through flow passage is increased. However, in this case, before the treatment is performed, moisture may be included in the corresponding portion of the honeycomb structure to soften the end portion of the through flow path.

  Here, in the above-described steps, steps S240 and S250 can be performed in parallel. In the above-described example, the example in which the sealing of the end portion of the through flow channel to be sealed and the deformation process of the end portion of the through flow channel to be opened are performed in the same process. However, if necessary, these processes may be performed separately. That is, using the same apparatus, first, the deformation process of the end portion of the open through flow path of the honeycomb structure is performed. Next, the obtained honeycomb structure is removed from the apparatus, and in some cases, after drying or the like is performed, the honeycomb structure is again installed in the same apparatus, and the end of the through-flow passage to be sealed Part sealing may be performed.

  In the flow shown in FIGS. 5 and 9, it should be noted that the order of the processing steps may be different from those shown in the drawings.

  In the above-described embodiment, the example in which the injection pipe is installed on the mask plate is shown. However, the injection pipe may be formed integrally with the mask plate by, for example, burring.

  For example, the mask plate and the discharge tank may be integrated by a method of providing a through hole in the bottom of the discharge tank and installing an injection pipe in the bottom.

  Furthermore, after sealing the edge part of a through-flow path through the step of Claim 2, 3 using the one mask board which has the through-hole of one pattern, the other which has the through-hole of another pattern By repeating the steps described in claims 2 and 3 using the mask, the end portion of the same through-flow channel as in the above-described embodiment may be sealed as a result.

  The shape of the honeycomb structure of the present invention may be any shape such as a quadrangular column, a cylinder, or an elliptical column. As shown in FIG. 11, by using the present invention, it is possible to manufacture a columnar integrated honeycomb structure in which through channels at the ends of the honeycomb structure are alternately sealed (in a checkered pattern). The outer peripheral side surface portion of the honeycomb structure may or may not be covered with the sealing material. Further, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the present invention was used to produce a rectangular pillar-shaped honeycomb structure in which the through-flow passages at the ends of the honeycomb structure were alternately sealed (in a checkered pattern). , A rectangular column-shaped honeycomb structure (FIG. 13) is bundled through a sealing material, and further processed into a cylindrical shape by cutting or the like, and the outer peripheral side surface of the rectangular honeycomb structure is covered with the sealing material This honeycomb structure (FIG. 12) can be produced.

  Hereinafter, the effects of the present invention will be described with reference to examples.

(Example 1)
7000 parts by mass of α-type silicon carbide powder having an average particle size of 20 μm, 3000 parts by mass of α-type silicon carbide powder having an average particle size of 0.5 μm, and 550 parts by mass of an organic binder (methyl cellulose) are dry-mixed to obtain a mixed composition Got.

Next, 330 parts by mass of a plasticizer (manufactured by Nippon Oil & Fats Co., Ltd., Unibourg), 150 parts by mass of glycerin as a lubricant, and water (appropriate amount) are added to this mixed composition, and this mixed composition is further added. After kneading, extrusion molding was performed to obtain a prismatic shaped product. Further, the produced shape was dried using a microwave dryer and a hot air dryer. The shape of the obtained honeycomb structure was 34.3 mm × 34.3 mm × 300 mm, the number of through channels was 62 / cm ² , and the partition wall thickness was 0.25 mm.

  Next, the end of a predetermined through flow path of the obtained honeycomb structure was sealed. In this embodiment, the through-flow channel whose end is to be sealed is present in a checkered pattern when viewed from the end face side where the honeycomb structure is to be sealed. First, a mask plate (installed on the discharge surface of the paste discharge tank 116) on which the injection pipe 132 is installed is prepared so as to coincide with the opening pattern of the through passage to be sealed of the honeycomb structure. In this embodiment, the mask plate 150 shown in FIG. 3 was used. Next, the mask plate 150 was brought into contact with the end face of the honeycomb structure 105 so that the injection pipe 132 was inserted into each of the through channels to be sealed of the honeycomb structure 105. The dimension (length L1 and L2 in FIG. 3) of the area where the injection pipe 132 of the mask plate is provided was 34.3 mm × 34.3 mm. The outer diameter of the injection pipe was 0.6 mm and the height was 1 mm.

  Next, the plug material paste 120 composed of the same component as the above mixed composition is added to the paste discharge tank 116, pressure is applied to the paste discharge tank 116, and the plug material paste 120 is applied to the honeycomb through the injection pipe 132. The corresponding through flow passage 110 of the structure 105 was filled. Thereafter, the mask plate was removed from the honeycomb structure. In addition, after arrange | positioning a mask board so that it might contact | abut to the end surface of the honeycomb structure 105 initially, it was not moved at all until it removed. By such an operation, a layer of the sealing material paste 120 was formed. Further, the honeycomb structure 105 was dried and fixed to obtain the honeycomb structure of Example 1.

(Example 2)
A honeycomb structure according to Example 2 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the mask plate of FIG. 7 was used.

(Comparative Example 1)
Except for using the conventional apparatus shown in FIG. 6, the end of the corresponding through flow path of the honeycomb structure was sealed by the same method as in Example 1, and the sealing material paste was dried and fixed. . The vibration process is not performed.

(Evaluation)
1,000 honeycomb structures according to Examples 1 and 2 and Comparative Example 1 were prepared, and the state of the sealed portion after sealing was visually observed. As a result, in the honeycomb structures according to Examples 1 and 2, no adhesion of the sealing material paste was observed at the end of the through-flow channel not filled with the sealing material paste. On the other hand, in the honeycomb structure according to Comparative Example 1, about 30% of the entire honeycomb structure has a portion where the plug material paste is attached to the end of the through-flow passage not filled with the plug material paste. It was recognized that there was.

  The present invention can be used, for example, in a filter and catalyst carrier manufacturing method for removing particulates and the like in exhaust gas.

It is sectional drawing which showed typically the edge part sealing device used for sealing of the honeycomb structure of this invention. FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a contact portion between a honeycomb structure and a mask plate in FIG. 1. It is a top view of the mask board used for sealing of this invention. It is BB sectional drawing of FIG. It is a flowchart of the sealing method of the honeycomb structure by this invention. It is sectional drawing which showed typically a part of edge part sealing device used for sealing of the conventional honeycomb structure. It is a top view of another mask board used for sealing of the present invention. It is CC sectional drawing of FIG. It is a flowchart of another sealing method of the honeycomb structure by this invention. It is a figure which shows each step in another sealing method of the honeycomb structure by this invention. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing an integrated honeycomb structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a perspective view schematically showing a collective honeycomb structure that is another embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 13 is a perspective view schematically showing a honeycomb structure constituting the aggregated honeycomb structure of Fig. 12.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 End part sealing apparatus 105 Honeycomb structure 110 Through-flow path to be sealed 110 'Open through-flow path 116 Discharge tank 120 Sealant paste 131 Through-hole 132 Injection pipe 133 Crevice 150 Mask plate 150a Surface 150b Back surface

Claims (5)

In at least one of the first and second end surfaces of the honeycomb structure in which a plurality of through passages penetrating from the first end surface to the second end surface are formed via the partition walls, A method of sealing at least one end of a through-flow path with a sealing material,
Through-flow of a honeycomb structure using a mask plate having an outer shape equal to or smaller than the cross-sectional dimension of the through-flow path and provided with injection pipes arranged to match the pattern of the through-flow path to be sealed A method of sealing an end of a road with a sealing material. The front surface and the back surface wider than the end surface sealed with the sealing material of the honeycomb structure, and the surface of the end surface sealed with the sealing material so as to match the pattern of the through flow path sealed. A mask plate provided with an injection pipe provided and a through hole provided coaxially with the injection pipe and having an opening dimension of the through hole on the surface equal to or less than an outer peripheral dimension at the same position of the injection pipe is prepared. And steps to
Installing a discharge tank having a discharge surface of a sealing material so that the discharge surface is in contact with the back surface of the mask plate;
Bringing the surface of the mask plate into contact with the end face sealed with the sealing material of the honeycomb structure; and
Adding a sealing material to the discharge tank;
Discharging the sealing material from the discharge tank to the end of the through-flow path to be sealed, through the through-hole and the injection pipe of the mask plate;
The method according to claim 1, wherein an end portion of the through flow path of the honeycomb structure is sealed with a sealing material. The mask plate has a protrusion on the surface;
The protrusion has a step of deforming an end portion of a through-flow path not filled with the sealing material on the end surface side sealed with the sealing material of the honeycomb structure. The method of Claim 2 which seals the edge part of a flow path with a sealing material. In at least one of the first and second end surfaces of the honeycomb structure in which a plurality of through passages penetrating from the first end surface to the second end surface are formed via the partition walls, An end sealing device for sealing at least one end of a through-flow path with a sealing material,
A front surface and a rear surface wider than the end surfaces sealed with the sealing material of the honeycomb structure,
An injection pipe provided on the surface so as to match the pattern of the through-flow path sealed at the end surface sealed with the sealing material;
A through hole provided coaxially with the injection pipe, wherein the opening size of the through hole on the surface is equal to or less than the outer peripheral size of the same position of the injection pipe; and
An end sealing device comprising a mask plate comprising:   Furthermore, the said surface is equipped with the processus | protrusion which deform | transforms the edge part of the through-flow path which is not filled with the sealing material of the end surface sealed with the sealing material of the said honeycomb structure. End sealing device.

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