Honeycomb bodies with improved skin CTE and isostatic strength and methods of making the same

1. A method for treating a honeycomb body, the honeycomb body comprising a skin surrounding a matrix of cells defined by a plurality of intersecting walls, the method comprising:

applying a buffer solution to an exterior surface of the skin, the buffer solution comprising a first pH, wherein a porous inorganic material of the skin comprises a plurality of micro-cracks, and wherein applying the buffer solution to the skin comprises introducing the buffer solution into the plurality of micro-cracks, wherein the buffer solution comprises one or more of: ammonium chloride, ammonium nitrate, ammonium acetate, ammonium hydroxide, potassium phosphate, sodium hydroxide, boric acid, potassium chloride, sodium chloride, potassium carbonate, potassium borate, potassium hydroxide, hydrochloric acid, or potassium acid phthalate; and

coating the exterior surface of the skin with an oxide slurry and depositing inorganic particles of the oxide slurry in pores of the porous inorganic material of the skin to increase a first density of the skin relative to a second density of a porous inorganic material of the matrix, the inorganic particles comprising particles of an oxide or a precursor of the oxide, wherein the oxide comprises alumina, silica, titania, zirconia, ceria, or aluminum silicate;

wherein the density of the skin after coating is 30% to 60% greater than a density of the porous inorganic material of the matrix,

wherein the oxide slurry comprises a second pH different from the first pH, and

wherein the oxide slurry and the buffer solution form a gel that inhibits the inorganic particles of the oxide or the precursor of the oxide from entering the plurality of micro-cracks.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying the buffer solution to the skin of the honeycomb comprises applying the buffer solution to only the skin of the honeycomb body and wherein coating the skin comprises applying the oxide slurry to only the skin of the honeycomb body.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the oxide slurry seeps into at least some of the intersecting walls of peripheral cells in the matrix of cells.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein a precipitation reaction occurs at a contact interface between the buffer solution and the oxide slurry to cause agglomeration of the inorganic particles of the oxide slurry.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, after coating the skin with the oxide slurry, applying a washcoat slurry comprising a catalytic material to at least the intersecting walls of the honeycomb body, wherein the catalytic material comprises platinum, palladium, or rhodium, or alloys thereof.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the porous inorganic material of the skin is cordierite, and inorganic particles comprise cordierite or a cordierite precursor.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the buffer solution is an aqueous solution.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the oxide slurry comprises colloidal alumina.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the oxide slurry comprises nano-particle silica soot.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the oxide slurry comprises colloidal titania, colloidal zirconia, or colloidal ceria.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the oxide slurry comprises colloidal aluminum silicate.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method increases the coefficient of thermal expansion of the skin measured at 800° C. by no more than two and a half times.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method increases the isostatic strength of the honeycomb body by 15% or more.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein after the drying step, the honeycomb body comprises a skin loading of 10 wt. % to 50 wt. %, wherein the skin loading in percent is the ratio of the weight of oxide particles applied to the skin divided by the weight of the porous ceramic material of the skin, times 100.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein after the drying step, the honeycomb body comprises a skin loading of 30 wt. % to 50 wt. %, wherein the skin loading in percent is the ratio of the weight of oxide particles applied to the skin divided by the weight of the porous ceramic material of the skin, times 100.

16. A method for treating a honeycomb body, the honeycomb body comprising a skin surrounding a matrix of cells defined by a plurality of intersecting wall, the method comprising:

applying a buffer solution to only an exterior surface of the skin, wherein the buffer solution is an aqueous solution comprising one or more of: ammonium chloride, ammonium nitrate, ammonium acetate, ammonium hydroxide, potassium phosphate, sodium hydroxide, boric acid, potassium chloride, sodium chloride, potassium carbonate, potassium borate, potassium hydroxide, hydrochloric acid, or potassium acid phthalate;

coating the exterior surface of the skin with an oxide slurry, the oxide slurry comprising an oxide or a precursor of the oxide to deposit inorganic particles in pores of a porous material of the skin, wherein the oxide comprises alumina, silica, Mania, zirconia, ceria, or aluminum silicate; and

drying the honeycomb body,

wherein the method increases an isostatic strength of the honeycomb body by 40% or more relative to an isostatic strength of the honeycomb body prior to application of the oxide slurry.

17. A method for treating a honeycomb body, the honeycomb body comprising a skin surrounding a matrix of cells defined by a plurality of intersecting walls, the method comprising:

applying a buffer solution to an exterior surface of the skin, the buffer solution comprising a first pH, wherein a porous inorganic material of the skin comprises a plurality of micro-cracks, and wherein applying the buffer solution to the skin comprises introducing the buffer solution into the plurality of micro-cracks, wherein the buffer solution comprises one or more of: ammonium chloride, ammonium nitrate, ammonium acetate, ammonium hydroxide, potassium phosphate, sodium hydroxide, boric acid, potassium chloride, sodium chloride, potassium carbonate, potassium borate, potassium hydroxide, hydrochloric acid, or potassium acid phthalate;

coating the exterior surface of the skin with an oxide slurry and depositing inorganic particles of the oxide slurry in pores of the porous inorganic material of the skin to increase a first density of the skin relative to a second density of a porous inorganic material of the matrix, the inorganic particles comprising particles of an oxide or a precursor of the oxide, wherein the oxide comprises alumina, silica, titania, zirconia, ceria, or aluminum silicate; and

after coating the skin with the oxide slurry, applying a washcoat slurry comprising a catalytic material to at least the intersecting walls of the honeycomb body, wherein the catalytic material comprises platinum, palladium, or rhodium, or alloys thereof,

wherein the oxide slurry comprises a second pH different from the first pH, and

wherein the oxide slurry and the buffer solution form a gel that inhibits the inorganic particles of the oxide or the precursor of the oxide from entering the plurality of micro-cracks.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the porous inorganic material of the skin is cordierite, and inorganic particles comprise cordierite or a cordierite precursor.

19. A method for treating a honeycomb body, the honeycomb body comprising a skin surrounding a matrix of cells defined by a plurality of intersecting walls, the method comprising:

applying a buffer solution to an exterior surface of the skin, the buffer solution comprising a first pH, wherein a porous inorganic material of the skin comprises a plurality of micro-cracks, and wherein applying the buffer solution to the skin comprises introducing the buffer solution into the plurality of micro-cracks, wherein the buffer solution comprises one or more of: ammonium chloride, ammonium nitrate, ammonium acetate, ammonium hydroxide, potassium phosphate, sodium hydroxide, boric acid, potassium chloride, sodium chloride, potassium carbonate, potassium borate, potassium hydroxide, hydrochloric acid, or potassium acid phthalate; and

coating the exterior surface of the skin with an oxide slurry and depositing inorganic particles of the oxide slurry in pores of the porous inorganic material of the skin to increase a first density of the skin relative to a second density of a porous inorganic material of the matrix, the inorganic particles comprising particles of an oxide or a precursor of the oxide,

wherein the oxide comprises alumina, silica, titania, zirconia, ceria, or aluminum silicate;

wherein the oxide slurry comprises a second pH different from the first pH, wherein the oxide slurry and the buffer solution form a gel that inhibits the inorganic particles of the oxide or the precursor of the oxide from entering the plurality of micro-cracks, and

wherein the method increases the coefficient of thermal expansion of the skin measured at 800° C. by no more than two and a half times.

20. A method for treating a honeycomb body, the honeycomb body comprising a skin surrounding a matrix of cells defined by a plurality of intersecting walls, the method comprising:

applying a buffer solution to an exterior surface of the skin, the buffer solution comprising a first pH, wherein a porous inorganic material of the skin comprises a plurality of micro-cracks, and wherein applying the buffer solution to the skin comprises introducing the buffer solution into the plurality of micro-cracks, wherein the buffer solution comprises one or more of: ammonium chloride, ammonium nitrate, ammonium acetate, ammonium hydroxide, potassium phosphate, sodium hydroxide, boric acid, potassium chloride, sodium chloride, potassium carbonate, potassium borate, potassium hydroxide, hydrochloric acid, or potassium acid phthalate; and

coating the exterior surface of the skin with an oxide slurry and depositing inorganic particles of the oxide slurry in pores of the porous inorganic material of the skin to increase a first density of the skin relative to a second density of a porous inorganic material of the matrix, the inorganic particles comprising particles of an oxide or a precursor of the oxide, wherein the oxide comprises alumina, silica, titania, zirconia, ceria, or aluminum silicate;

wherein the oxide slurry comprises a second pH different from the first pH,

wherein the oxide slurry and the buffer solution form a gel that inhibits the inorganic particles of the oxide or the precursor of the oxide from entering the plurality of micro-cracks, and

wherein the method increases the isostatic strength of the honeycomb body by 15% or more.

21. A method for treating a honeycomb body, the honeycomb body comprising a skin surrounding a matrix of cells defined by a plurality of intersecting walls, the method comprising:

applying a buffer solution to an exterior surface of the skin, the buffer solution comprising a first pH, wherein a porous inorganic material of the skin comprises a plurality of micro-cracks, and wherein applying the buffer solution to the skin comprises introducing the buffer solution into the plurality of micro-cracks, wherein the buffer solution comprises one or more of: ammonium chloride, ammonium nitrate, ammonium acetate, ammonium hydroxide, potassium phosphate, sodium hydroxide, boric acid, potassium chloride, sodium chloride, potassium carbonate, potassium borate, potassium hydroxide, hydrochloric acid, or potassium acid phthalate; and

coating the exterior surface of the skin with an oxide slurry and depositing inorganic particles of the oxide slurry in pores of the porous inorganic material of the skin to increase a first density of the skin relative to a second density of a porous inorganic material of the matrix, the inorganic particles comprising particles of an oxide or a precursor of the oxide, wherein the oxide comprises alumina, silica, titania, zirconia, ceria, or aluminum silicate;

wherein the oxide slurry comprises a second pH different from the first pH,

wherein the oxide slurry and the buffer solution form a gel that inhibits the inorganic particles of the oxide or the precursor of the oxide from entering the plurality of micro-cracks,

wherein applying the buffer solution to the skin of the honeycomb comprises applying the buffer solution to only the skin of the honeycomb body and wherein coating the skin comprises applying the oxide slurry to only the skin of the honeycomb body,

wherein the density of the skin is 30% to 60% greater than a density of the porous inorganic material of the matrix, and

wherein an isostatic strength of the honeycomb body is increased by 40% or more relative to an isostatic strength of the honeycomb body prior to application of the oxide slurry.