A method of reducing the swell potential of an expansive clay mineral. The method includes (a) carrying out a forcefield-modified molecular level simulation to determine an amount of a swelling reduction agent to be incorporated into the expansive clay mineral to form a swelling reduction agent incorporated expansive clay mineral with a reduced swell potential S.sub.i(ECM) that is no greater than a pre-set level T, wherein the swelling reduction agent comprises at least one cementation material of calcite, gypsum, and potassium chloride and/or at least one exchangeable cation of K.sup.+, Ca.sup.2+, and Mg.sup.2+, and wherein the forcefield-modified molecular level simulation comprises molecular mechanics, molecular dynamics, and Monte Carlo simulation techniques configured to simulate the reduced swell potential S.sub.i(ECM), and (b) incorporating the amount of the swelling reduction agent into the expansive clay mineral to form the swelling reduction agent incorporated expansive clay mineral.

A method of reducing the swell potential of an expansive clayey soil comprising expansive clay mineral(s) at a proportion of the total weight of the expansive clayey soil (P.sub.ECM). The method includes (a) calculating a first amount of a swelling reduction agent to be incorporated into the expansive clayey soil to form a first swelling reduction agent incorporated expansive clayey soil with a reduced swell potential no greater than a pre-set level T with a nano-level constitutive modeling based on the water content and the CEC of the expansive clayey soil and P.sub.ECM. The swelling reduction agent is at least one selected from calcite, gypsum, potassium chloride, a composition comprising exchangeable K.sup.+, a composition comprising exchangeable Ca.sup.2+, and/or a composition comprising exchangeable Mg.sup.2+, and (b) incorporating the first amount of the swelling reduction agent into the expansive clayey soil to form the first swelling reduction agent incorporated expansive clayey soil.

A method of reducing the swell potential of an expansive clayey soil comprising expansive clay mineral(s) at a proportion of the total weight of the expansive clayey soil (P.sub.ECM). The method includes (a) calculating a first amount of a swelling reduction agent to be incorporated into the expansive clayey soil to form a first swelling reduction agent incorporated expansive clayey soil with a reduced swell potential no greater than a pre-set level T with a nano-level constitutive modeling based on the water content and the CEC of the expansive clayey soil and P.sub.ECM. The swelling reduction agent is at least one selected from calcite, gypsum, potassium chloride, a composition comprising exchangeable K.sup.+, a composition comprising exchangeable Ca.sup.2, and/or a composition comprising exchangeable Mg.sup.2+, and (b) incorporating the first amount of the swelling reduction agent into the expansive clayey soil to form the first swelling reduction agent incorporated expansive clayey soil.

A method of reducing the swell potential of an expansive clay mineral. The method includes (a) carrying out a forcefield-modified molecular level simulation to determine an amount of a swelling reduction agent to be incorporated into the expansive clay mineral to form a swelling reduction agent incorporated expansive clay mineral with a reduced swell potential S.sub.i(ECM) that is no greater than a pre-set level T, wherein the swelling reduction agent comprises at least one cementation material of calcite, gypsum, and potassium chloride and/or at least one exchangeable cation of K.sup.+, Ca.sup.2+, and Mg.sup.2+, and wherein the forcefield-modified molecular level simulation comprises molecular mechanics, molecular dynamics, and Monte Carlo simulation techniques configured to simulate the reduced swell potential S.sub.i(ECM), and (b) incorporating the amount of the swelling reduction agent into the expansive clay mineral to form the swelling reduction agent incorporated expansive clay mineral.

A gasket material for high pressure high temperature presses, comprising: a proportion of a clay mineral a proportion of a hard material for increasing the viscosity of the clay mineral a proportion of a binder selected from the group of borate binders, phosphate binders, and mixtures thereof.

A method of reducing the swell potential of an expansive clayey soil comprising expansive clay mineral(s) at a proportion of the total weight of the expansive clayey soil (P.sub.ECM). The method includes (a) calculating a first amount of a swelling reduction agent to be incorporated into the expansive clayey soil to form a first swelling reduction agent incorporated expansive clayey soil with a reduced swell potential no greater than a pre-set level T with a nano-level constitutive modeling based on the water content and the CEC of the expansive clayey soil and P.sub.ECM. The swelling reduction agent is at least one selected from calcite, gypsum, potassium chloride, a composition comprising exchangeable K.sup.+, a composition comprising exchangeable Ca.sup.2, and/or a composition comprising exchangeable Mg.sup.2+, and (b) incorporating the first amount of the swelling reduction agent into the expansive clayey soil to form the first swelling reduction agent incorporated expansive clayey soil.

The present invention relates to a lightweight sound-absorbing and fire-resistant insulation panel including: a binder; expanded graphite; and swelling clays, and the swelling clays are formed of honeycomb-shaped layered clays containing water molecules in interlayers and have particle sizes in the range of 50 to 200 m. Further, the expanded graphite is present in an amount of from 10 to 100 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the swelling clays. According to the present invention, the insulation panel is made of the expanded graphite and the honeycomb-shaped swelling clays, thus providing excellent lightweightness, sound absorption, insulation, fire resistance and flame retardancy, and further, the insulation panel is manufactured without having any sintering, thus providing simple manufacturing processes and lowering production costs.

The present disclosure relates to a composite of sintered mullite reinforced corundum granules and a method for its preparation. The composite comprises mullite and corundum in an interlocking microstructure. The process for preparing the composite involves the steps of admixing the raw materials followed by sintering to obtain the composite comprising sintered mullite reinforced corundum granules.

The present disclosure relates to a process for making ceramic tiles characterized by the addition to the ceramic raw materials of an aqueous slurry comprising a swellable clay of the smectite family, a binder and a water-soluble salt of a monovalent cation.

A process for making tiles comprising: i) mixing the ceramic raw materials; ii) dry-grinding the ceramic raw materials or wet-grinding the ceramic raw materials and spray drying the ceramic slip obtained from the wet-grinding; iii) forming green tiles by pressing the powdery grinded ceramic raw materials obtained from step ii); said process being characterized by the addition to the ceramic raw materials, before step iii), of from 0.01 to 5.0% by weight, based on the weight of the ceramic raw materials (dry matter), of a composition comprising a polymer obtained by polymerization in the presence of a sugar or a degraded polysaccharide.