Composite structures, heater apparatus, fast light-off exhaust aftertreatment systems, and methods of manufacturing and using same

A composite structure, comprising:

• a honeycomb body of intersecting walls forming a plurality of channels, wherein a composite material of the body comprises:
• a first phase of a porous glass or ceramic containing material, wherein the first phase comprises an internal interconnected porosity having a porosity of 40% to 80% and a median pore size from 5 μm to 40 μm;
• and
• a second phase of an electrically conductive material, wherein the second phase is present in the internal, interconnected porosity at a loading level of at least 25 cm3/L with respect to a representative volume of the composite structure, wherein the representative volume is determined as a closed frontal area of the first phase, inclusive of the internal interconnected porosity, multiplied by an axial length of the first phase;
• wherein the first phase constitutes from 25% to 90% of a solid volume of the composite structure, and the second phase constitutes from 10% to 75% of the solid volume of the composite structure.

A composite structure comprising:

• a body comprising an array of intersecting walls that form a plurality of channels extending in an axial direction through the body such that adjacent channels are located on opposite sides of each wall, wherein a composite material of the body comprises:
• a first phase of a porous glass or ceramic containing material, wherein the first phase comprises an internal interconnected porosity;
• and
• a second phase of an electrically conductive material, wherein the second phase is a continuous, three-dimensional, interconnected, electrically conductive phase at least partially filling the internal interconnected porosity of the first phase to create an electrical path through at least some of the walls in a lateral direction perpendicular to the axial direction between the opposite sides of the walls,
• wherein the second phase comprises greater than or equal to 10% of a solid volume of the composite structure.

A composite structure comprising:

• a body comprising an array of intersecting walls that form a plurality of channels extending in an axial direction through the body such that adjacent channels are located on opposite sides of each wall, wherein a composite material of the body comprises:
• a first phase of a porous glass or ceramic containing material, wherein the first phase comprises an internal interconnected porosity;
• and
• a second phase of an electrically conductive material, wherein the second phase is a continuous, three-dimensional, interconnected, electrically conductive phase at least partially filling the internal interconnected porosity of the first phase to create an electrical path through at least some of the walls in a lateral direction perpendicular to the axial direction between the opposite sides of the walls, and
• cutout portions that create a serpentine pattern for the array of walls by separating portions of the walls from each other.