Inorganic fiber molded body and process for producing the same

1. An inorganic fiber molded body, comprising:

an aggregate of inorganic fibers subjected to a needling treatment; and

a plurality of inorganic binder particles consisting essentially of at least one material selected from the group consisting of alumina, zirconia, titania, and magnesia,

wherein the inorganic fiber molded body has at least one set of a high-fiber density region and a low-fiber density region, in which a ratio of a content of the binder particles in the high-fiber density region to a content of the binder particles in the low-fiber density region is 0.5:1 to 5:1, wherein the content of the binder particles in the high-fiber density region and the content of the binder particles in the low-fiber density region are measured by equally dividing the inorganic fiber molded body into five parts in a thickness direction thereof to prepare first to fifth layer specimens, firing each of the specimens at 1000° C. for 3 hours, measuring weights of each of the specimens before and after the firing to determine a weight loss owing to the firing, and calculating a content of the inorganic binder particles in each of the specimens,

a number-average particle diameter of the inorganic binder particles on an outermost surface of the molded body is 20 to 35 μm, wherein the number-average particle diameter is determined by measuring a minor axis diameter of the inorganic particles present in an area of 400 μm×400 μm on the outermost surface of the molded body as viewed on a scanning electron micrograph, and

a number of the inorganic binder particles present in the area of 400 μm×400 μm on the outermost surface of the molded body is less than 15, as viewed on a scanning electron micrograph.

2. The inorganic fiber molded body according to claim 1 , wherein a difference between an absolute value of a surface density of the high-fiber density region and an absolute value of a surface density of the low-fiber density region is not less than 0.005 g/cm 2 .

3. The inorganic fiber molded body according to claim 1 , wherein the inorganic fiber molded body has the high-fiber density regions at both ends of the thickness direction thereof, and the low-fiber density region is provided between the high-fiber density regions.

4. The inorganic fiber molded body according to claim 1 , wherein the inorganic fibers have a crystallinity of not less than 50%.

5. The inorganic fiber molded body according to claim 1 , wherein the inorganic fibers comprise at least one selected from the group consisting of silica, alumina, zirconia, spinel, and titania.

6. The inorganic fiber molded body according to claim 1 , wherein the inorganic fibers comprise alumina and silica.

7. The inorganic fiber molded body according to claim 1 , wherein the inorganic fibers have a number-average fiber length of from 210 μm to 1000 μm, have an average fiber diameter of from 5 μm to 7 μm, and is substantially free of a fiber having a fiber diameter of not more than 3 μm.

8. The inorganic fiber molded body according to claim 1 , wherein the aggregate of inorganic fibers are subjected to the needling treatment of 2 to 200 punches/cm 2 .

9. The inorganic fiber molded body according to claim 1 , wherein the aggregate of inorganic fibers has a thickness of from 2 mm to 35 mm.

10. The inorganic fiber molded body according to claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the content of the binder particles in the high-fiber density region to the content of the binder particles in the low-fiber density region is 1.1:1 to 5:1.

11. The inorganic fiber molded body according to claim 1 , wherein the aggregate of inorganic fibers is produced by a process comprising forming an aggregate of an inorganic fiber precursor, subjecting the aggregate of an inorganic fiber precursor to a needling treatment, and then firing the aggregate of an inorganic fiber precursor at a temperature of 900° C. to 1500° C.

12. The inorganic fiber molded body according to claim 1 , wherein the inorganic fiber molded body is produced by a process consisting essentially of impregnating an inorganic binder into the aggregate of inorganic fibers, and drying the aggregate of inorganic fibers impregnated with the inorganic binder at a temperature of from 80° C. to 150° C.

13. The process according to claim 12 , wherein the inorganic binder is in the form of an inorganic sol.

14. A process for producing the inorganic fiber molded body of claim 1 , comprising:

impregnating an inorganic binder into the aggregate of inorganic fibers; and

drying the aggregate of inorganic fibers impregnated with the inorganic binder by suction dehydration from a bottom surface of the aggregate of inorganic fibers.

15. The process according to claim 14 , further comprising:

contacting an upper surface of the inorganic fiber molded body with a dry gas flow having a temperature of 60 to 200° C.,

wherein the drying and the contacting are carried out at the same time.

16. The process according to claim 14 , wherein the inorganic binder comprises acetic acid and has a viscosity of 5 to 150 cp.

17. The process according to claim 14 , further comprising:

producing the aggregate of inorganic fibers by a process comprising subjecting an aggregate of an inorganic fiber precursor to a needling treatment, and firing the aggregate of an inorganic fiber precursor subjected to the needling treatment at a temperature of 1100° C. to 1400° C. for 0.5 to 4 hours.