Methods, systems, and apparatus for generating a recipe for a concrete mixture, comprising: obtaining an optical characterization of a set of particles; determining, based on the optical characterization, physical characteristics of the set of particles; generating a multispherical approximation of the set of particles; selecting, based on the physical characteristics of the set of particles and from a database of performance rules, performance rules applicable to the set of particles; predicting performance of a proposed recipe for a concrete mixture formed from the set of particles by: determining a wet flowability rating of the proposed recipe based on the selected performance rules; and determining a dry packing rating of the proposed recipe based on the multispherical approximation; iteratively altering the proposed recipe and predicting performance of the altered proposed recipe until the predicted performance satisfies performance criteria to obtain a final recipe; and outputting the final recipe.

Methods, systems, and apparatus for generating a recipe for a concrete mixture, comprising: obtaining an optical characterization of a set of particles; determining, based on the optical characterization, physical characteristics of the set of particles; generating a multispherical approximation of the set of particles; selecting, based on the physical characteristics of the set of particles and from a database of performance rules, performance rules applicable to the set of particles; predicting performance of a proposed recipe for a concrete mixture formed from the set of particles by: determining a wet flowability rating of the proposed recipe based on the selected performance rules; and determining a dry packing rating of the proposed recipe based on the multispherical approximation; iteratively altering the proposed recipe and predicting performance of the altered proposed recipe until the predicted performance satisfies performance criteria to obtain a final recipe; and outputting the final recipe.

A full-fiber burner brick and a preparation method thereof, comprising mixing alumina crystal fiber and amorphous ceramic fiber with both of them being a combination of fibers of different lengths gradations, and moreover adding fine powder fillers of different particle size gradations and supplementing other additives. This enables the internal structure of the product more uniform, increases the bulk density of the product, and also benefits the suction filterability of fiber cotton blank, and is conducive to forming and improving the strength of the blank. The surface of the brick body is further provided with a coating, which can effectively protect the cotton fiber of the brick body fiber from harsh environments, improve its high temperature resistance, and help to extend the service life of the burner brick.

A full-fiber burner brick and a preparation method thereof, comprising mixing alumina crystal fiber and amorphous ceramic fiber with both of them being a combination of fibers of different lengths gradations, and moreover adding fine powder fillers of different particle size gradations and supplementing other additives. This enables the internal structure of the product more uniform, increases the bulk density of the product, and also benefits the suction filterability of fiber cotton blank, and is conducive to forming and improving the strength of the blank. The surface of the brick body is further provided with a coating, which can effectively protect the cotton fiber of the brick body fiber from harsh environments, improve its high temperature resistance, and help to extend the service life of the burner brick.

A multi-functional polymer concrete using polymer or cement-polymer binders modified with boron nanotubes and heavyweight aggregate particles.

Methods for forming a coated component, along with the resulting coated components, are provided. The method may include forming a silicon-based bond coating on a surface of a substrate and forming a barrier coating on the silicon-based bond coating. The silicon-based bond coating comprises columnar grains of crystalline silicon. Chemical vapor depositing (CVD) may be used to form the silicon-based bond coating through CVD of a silicon-containing precursor at a deposition temperature and deposition pressure that causes crystallization of the silicon material during the deposition of the silicon-based bond coating. The silicon-containing precursor may be silane, monochlorosilane, dichlorosilane, and/or trichlorosilane.

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for simulating a concrete mixture. One of the methods includes obtaining an optical characterization of physical particles, generating a multispherical approximation of the physical particles, the multispherical approximation having reduced dimensionality compared to the optical characterization, simulating an aggregate mixture by applying the multispherical approximation of the particles to a physics simulator to obtain a predicted performance of the proposed aggregate mixture, selectively altering the aggregate mixture based on a comparison with performance metrics and simulating the altered aggregate mixture until the predicted performance satisfies the performance metrics to obtain a final aggregate mixture, and outputting the final aggregate mixture

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for simulating a concrete mixture. One of the methods includes obtaining an optical characterization of physical particles, generating a multispherical approximation of the physical particles, the multispherical approximation having reduced dimensionality compared to the optical characterization, simulating an aggregate mixture by applying the multispherical approximation of the particles to a physics simulator to obtain a predicted performance of the proposed aggregate mixture, selectively altering the aggregate mixture based on a comparison with performance metrics and simulating the altered aggregate mixture until the predicted performance satisfies the performance metrics to obtain a final aggregate mixture, and outputting the final aggregate mixture

A system and method to dry plug cement in a ceramic honeycomb body during the manufacture of plugged ceramic honeycomb bodies. The system includes a heating element (520) configured to immediately heat without contact a face (502) of a ceramic honeycomb body (500) plugged with a wet plug cement (510) to rapidly dry and stiffen the plug cement (510) on the face (502) of the ceramic honeycomb body (500). The method includes immediately applying heat without contact to a face (502) of a ceramic honeycomb body (500) having wet plug cement (510) disposed in channels (508) of the ceramic honeycomb body at the face, and rapidly drying and stiffening the plug cement on the face of the ceramic honeycomb body.

A system and method to dry plug cement in a ceramic honeycomb body during the manufacture of plugged ceramic honeycomb bodies. The system includes a heating element (520) configured to immediately heat without contact a face (502) of a ceramic honeycomb body (500) plugged with a wet plug cement (510) to rapidly dry and stiffen the plug cement (510) on the face (502) of the ceramic honeycomb body (500). The method includes immediately applying heat without contact to a face (502) of a ceramic honeycomb body (500) having wet plug cement (510) disposed in channels (508) of the ceramic honeycomb body at the face, and rapidly drying and stiffening the plug cement on the face of the ceramic honeycomb body.