Honeycomb ceramics have been widely used in various fields such as environmental protection, automobile industry, aerospace engineering, etc. The excellent thermal stability, high porosity and low pressure loss of honeycomb ceramics make them ideal for catalytic converters, heat exchangers and filters. However, the manufacturing of honeycomb ceramics requires advanced technology and materials with superior properties. Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) has proven to be a promising additive for honeycomb ceramics due to its excellent properties and cost-effectiveness.

HPMC is a non-ionic cellulose ether mainly made of natural cellulose. It is a water-soluble polymer that mixes easily with water. As a processing aid, HPMC can improve the rheological properties of ceramic slurries, such as viscosity, stability and uniformity. After adding HPMC, the ceramic slurry can be evenly coated on the honeycomb substrate, helping to avoid defects and cracks in the final product. Moreover, HPMC can be used as a binder during the drying and firing processes, which can enhance the strength and toughness of honeycomb ceramics. The presence of HPMC can also produce a higher surface area of honeycomb ceramics, which is conducive to catalytic reactions.

The addition of HPMC increases the porosity of honeycomb ceramics by approximately 10%, which is attributed to the formation of a highly interconnected pore network. The increase in porosity is beneficial to the diffusion of reactants in catalytic reactions. In addition, HPMC can enhance the strength and toughness of honeycomb ceramics by forming a flexible network between particles to resist thermal shock during firing. The addition of HPMC also increases the specific surface area of honeycomb ceramics by 23%, which can improve its catalytic performance.

The addition of HPMC can reduce the shrinkage and deformation of honeycomb ceramics, which is beneficial to its dimensional stability. In addition, HPMC can also increase the storage modulus of honeycomb ceramics, thereby improving their mechanical properties. HPMC also improves the catalytic activity of honeycomb ceramics due to increased surface area and better dispersion of active components.

HPMC also prevents honeycomb ceramics from deforming and cracking during drying by forming a stable and flexible network between particles. They concluded that HPMC is a promising additive for the high-quality and efficient manufacture of honeycomb ceramics.

HPMC is a new and promising honeycomb ceramic additive due to its excellent performance and cost-effectiveness. The addition of HPMC can improve the rheological properties, porosity, strength and catalytic performance of honeycomb ceramics. In addition, HPMC can also improve the dimensional stability, mechanical properties and molding process of honeycomb ceramics. The application of HPMC in honeycomb ceramics has great potential in various fields. Further research is needed to optimize the concentration and use methods of HPMC, and to explore its mechanism of action in honeycomb ceramics.