Holding sealing material, method for producing holding sealing material, method for manufacturing exhaust gas purifying apparatus, and exhaust gas purifying apparatus

Abstract

A holding sealing material includes inorganic fibers, a longitudinal direction, a width direction, a thickness direction, a first main face, a second main face, and a structure. The first main face is substantially perpendicular to the thickness direction. The holding sealing material is to be wrapped along the longitudinal direction around an exhaust gas treating body housed in a casing of an exhaust gas purifying apparatus and disposed between the exhaust gas treating body and the casing so that the first main face faces an outer circumference face of the exhaust gas treating body and the second main face faces an inner circumference face of the casing. The structure is plastically deformed by applying a shear stress to the first main face and the second main face respectively in mutually opposite directions along the width direction.

1 . A holding sealing material comprising:
 inorganic fibers;   a longitudinal direction;   a width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction;   a thickness direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and the width direction;   a first main face substantially perpendicular to the thickness direction;   a second main face opposite to the first main face in the thickness direction, the holding sealing material being to be wrapped along the longitudinal direction around an exhaust gas treating body housed in a casing of an exhaust gas purifying apparatus and disposed between the exhaust gas treating body and the casing so that the first main face faces an outer circumference face of the exhaust gas treating body and the second main face faces an inner circumference face of the casing; and   a structure plastically deformed by applying a shear stress to the first main face and the second main face respectively in mutually opposite directions along the width direction.   
     
     
         2 . The holding sealing material according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the holding sealing material is treated by needle punching.   
     
     
         3 . The holding sealing material according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the holding sealing material is provided with needle holes made by the needle punching, and   the shear stress is applied to the first main face and the second main face such that the needle holes made by the needle punching are slanted at least about 15° with respect to the thickness direction when viewed in a cross section parallel to the width direction.   
     
     
         4 . The holding sealing material according to  claim 1 , further comprising an organic binder. 
     
     
         5 . A method for producing a holding sealing material, the method comprising:
 providing a material mat including inorganic fibers, the material mat having a first main face substantially perpendicular to a thickness direction of the material mat, a second main face opposite to the first main face in the thickness direction, the holding sealing material being to be wrapped along a longitudinal direction perpendicular to the thickness direction and a width direction of the material mat around an exhaust gas treating body housed in a casing of an exhaust gas purifying apparatus and disposed between the exhaust gas treating body and the casing so that the first main face faces an outer circumference face of the exhaust gas treating body and the second main face faces an inner circumference face of the casing;   immobilizing the first main face and the second main face of the material mat; and   applying a shear stress to the first main face and the second main face respectively in mutually opposite directions along the width direction to plastically deform the material mat.   
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 5 ,
 wherein the material mat provided in the providing the material mat comprises a material mat, at least one of the first main face and the second main face of which is treated by needle punching.   
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 6 ,
 wherein in the applying the shear stress, the shear stress is applied to the first main face and the second main face such that needle holes made by the needle punching are slanted at least about 15° with respect to the thickness direction when viewed in a cross section parallel to the width direction.   
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 5 ,
 the material mat provided in the providing the material mat comprises a material mat impregnated with an organic binder solution, and   in the applying the shear stress, the material mat is immobilized and dried while the shear stress is applied to the first main face and the second main face.   
     
     
         9 . A method for manufacturing an exhaust gas purifying apparatus, the method comprising:
 providing a material mat including inorganic fibers, the material mat having a first main face substantially perpendicular to a thickness direction of the material mat, a second main face opposite to the first main face in the thickness direction;   immobilizing the first main face and the second main face of the material mat;   applying shear stress to the first main face in a first shear direction and to the second main face in a second shear direction opposite to the first shear direction to plastically deform the material mat to produce a holding sealing material, the first shear direction and the second shear direction being along a width direction perpendicular to the thickness direction and a longitudinal direction of the material mat;   wrapping the holding sealing material along the longitudinal direction around an exhaust gas treating body so that the first main face of the holding sealing material contacts the exhaust gas treating body to produce a wrapped body; and   press-fitting the wrapped body into a casing in a same direction as the first shear direction.   
     
     
         10 . An exhaust gas purifying apparatus comprising:
 a casing;   an exhaust gas treating body housed in the casing; and   a holding sealing material wrapped around the exhaust gas treating body and disposed between the exhaust gas treating body and the casing, the holding sealing material comprising:
 inorganic fibers; 
 a longitudinal direction; 
 a width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction; 
 a thickness direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and the width direction; 
 a first main face provided substantially perpendicular to the thickness direction and facing an outer circumference face of the exhaust gas treating body; 
 a second main face provided opposite to the first main face in the thickness direction and facing an inner circumference face of the casing; and 
 a structure plastically deformed by applying shear stress to the first main face and the second main face respectively in mutually opposite directions along the width direction. 
   
     
     
         11 . The holding sealing material according to  claim 2 , further comprising an organic binder. 
     
     
         12 . The holding sealing material according to  claim 3 , further comprising an organic binder. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 6 ,
 the material mat provided in the providing the material mat comprises a material mat impregnated with an organic binder solution, and   in the applying the shear stress, the material mat is immobilized and dried while the shear stress is applied to the first main face and the second main face.   
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 7 ,
 the material mat provided in the providing the material mat comprises a material mat impregnated with an organic binder solution, and   in the applying the shear stress, the material mat is immobilized and dried while the shear stress is applied to the first main face and the second main face.