Ceramic heat exchangers and production thereof

Abstract

A ceramic heat transmission type or regenerative heat exchanger, including a plurality of matrix segments bonded together with a bonding material. A difference in coefficient of thermal expansion between the matrix segments and the bonding material is not more than 0.02% at 800.degree. C., and a Young's modulus of the bonding material is not less than 0.4 times to not more than 1.8 times that of the matrix segment. A process for producing the ceramic heat exchangers includes the steps of extruding and firing honeycomb structural segments in which a crystalline phase is mainly composed of cordierite and a coefficient of thermal expansion in an extending direction of flow channels is not more than 0.06% at 800.degree. C., machining an outer periphery of each of the segments, coating a bonding material around the outer periphery of each of the segments, bonding the segments together, and drying and firing the bonded segments. The bonding material has a coefficient of thermal expansion different from that of the matrix segments after the firing by not more than 0.02% at 800.degree. C., and a Young's modulus of the bonding material being not less than 0.4 time to not more than 1.8 times that of the matrix.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.