A method for preparing low-background cement includes: uniformly mixing a seed crystal of cement, C.sub.4AF whiskers, and high-magnesium raw material to yield a first mixture, calcining the first mixture at 1400-1500 C., to yield a low-background clinker, the first mixture including 1.0-5.0 wt. % of the seed crystal of cement, 1.0-5.0 wt. % of the C.sub.4AF whiskers, and the balance is the high-magnesium raw material; and grinding a second mixture of the low-background clinker and gypsum, to yield low-background cement. The seed crystal of cement is a high-magnesium and low hydration heat clinker, has a specific activity of Ra-226 radioactive nuclides within 50 Bq/kg, and the MgO content of the clinker is between 4.0 wt. % and 5.0 wt. %, with 50 wt. % <C.sub.3S <55.0 wt. %; and the high-magnesium raw material has a MgO content between 2.5 wt. % and 3.0 wt. %.

Described herein are methods of cementing at least a portion of a well comprising feeding a magnetorheological cementitious slurry to a well and applying a magnetic field to the magnetorheological cementitious slurry concurrent with at least a portion of said feeding step to cause a mechanical response in said magnetorheological cementitious slurry in the well. Also disclosed herein are methods of temporarily blocking at least a portion of a well comprising providing a magnetorheological fluid in a well, applying a magnetic field to cause a mechanical response in said magnetorheological fluid thereby blocking at least a portion of the well, and removing the magnetic field to unblock the portion of the well. Also disclosed herein is a magnetorheological cement.

Described herein are methods of cementing at least a portion of a well comprising feeding a magnetorheological cementitious slurry to a well and applying a magnetic field to the magnetorheological cementitious slurry concurrent with at least a portion of said feeding step to cause a mechanical response in said magnetorheological cementitious slurry in the well. Also disclosed herein are methods of temporarily blocking at least a portion of a well comprising providing a magnetorheological fluid in a well, applying a magnetic field to cause a mechanical response in said magnetorheological fluid thereby blocking at least a portion of the well, and removing the magnetic field to unblock the portion of the well. Also disclosed herein is a magnetorheological cement.

A method for preparing low-background cement includes: uniformly mixing a seed crystal of cement, C.sub.4AF whiskers, and high-magnesium raw material to yield a first mixture, calcining the first mixture at 1400-1500? C., to yield a low-background clinker, the first mixture including 1.0-5.0 wt. % of the seed crystal of cement, 1.0-5.0 wt. % of the C.sub.4AF whiskers, and the balance is the high-magnesium raw material; and grinding a second mixture of the low-background clinker and gypsum, to yield low-background cement. The seed crystal of cement is a high-magnesium and low hydration heat clinker, has a specific activity of Ra-226 radioactive nuclides within 50 Bq/kg, and the MgO content of the clinker is between 4.0 wt. % and 5.0 wt. %, with 50 wt. %?C.sub.3S?55.0 wt. %; and the high-magnesium raw material has a MgO content between 2.5 wt. % and 3.0 wt. %.

Sized short alumina-based inorganic oxide fiber comprises, based on the total weight of the sized short alumina-based inorganic oxide fiber: from 0.1 to 15 percent by weight of a size resin comprising a polyamide; and from 85 to 99.9 percent by weight of short alumina-based inorganic oxide fiber. Methods of making the sized short alumina-based inorganic oxide fiber and compositions comprising the sized short alumina-based inorganic oxide fiber in a polymeric matrix are also disclosed.

Sized short alumina-based inorganic oxide fiber comprises, based on the total weight of the sized short alumina-based inorganic oxide fiber: from 0.1 to 15 percent by weight of a size resin comprising a polyamide; and from 85 to 99.9 percent by weight of short alumina-based inorganic oxide fiber. Methods of making the sized short alumina-based inorganic oxide fiber and compositions comprising the sized short alumina-based inorganic oxide fiber in a polymeric matrix are also disclosed.

The invention described is a reinforced refractory fire containment wall panel, the panel cast from a reinforced refractory composition. The refractory composition contains cement, a binder, a matrix material comprising 300 series stainless steel fibers and organic fibers, and a refractory aggregate comprising aluminum oxide, calcium oxide, iron oxide and silicon dioxide or a combination thereof, and a reinforcing material. The invention also describes methods of making the reinforced refractory fire containment wall panel.

A method includes forming a crystallized metal carbide undercoat on a surface of a carbon-carbon composite substrate. The method further includes forming an overcoat on a surface of the undercoat. The overcoat includes a plurality of crystallized ultra-high melting point overcoat layers. Each overcoat layer is sequentially formed by applying a mixture to a surface of an underlying layer and heating the mixture. The mixture includes a plurality of ultra-high melting point refractory ceramic particles and a pre-ceramic polymer. The mixture is heated to a heat treatment temperature to pyrolyze the pre-ceramic polymer and form the overcoat layer in an inert atmosphere or under vacuum. As a result, the overcoat layer includes a crystallized ultra-high melting point polymer-derived ceramic matrix that includes the plurality of ultra-high melting point refractory ceramic particles.

A method includes forming a crystallized metal carbide undercoat on a surface of a carbon-carbon composite substrate. The method further includes forming an overcoat on a surface of the undercoat. The overcoat includes a plurality of crystallized ultra-high melting point overcoat layers. Each overcoat layer is sequentially formed by applying a mixture to a surface of an underlying layer and heating the mixture. The mixture includes a plurality of ultra-high melting point refractory ceramic particles and a pre-ceramic polymer. The mixture is heated to a heat treatment temperature to pyrolyze the pre-ceramic polymer and form the overcoat layer in an inert atmosphere or under vacuum. As a result, the overcoat layer includes a crystallized ultra-high melting point polymer-derived ceramic matrix that includes the plurality of ultra-high melting point refractory ceramic particles.