In a process for manufacturing a component for an emissions treatment unit, green ceramic product is extruded through a die to form an extrusion having a honeycomb substrate structure with an array of parallel, linear tubular cells extending along its length, the cells bounded by walls dividing adjacent cells from one another. A ceramic unit is obtained by cutting off, curing and firing a length of the extrusion a length of the extrusion. Following the firing, a mixture of a flowable, uncured curable material and a particulate metal component is injected from an end of the ceramic unit into selected ones of the cells so as to block the selected cells over at least a part of their lengths while maintaining all of the walls of the ceramic unit. The injected mixture is then cured to render it solid.

In a process for manufacturing a component for an emissions treatment unit, green ceramic product is extruded through a die to form an extrusion having a honeycomb substrate structure with an array of parallel, linear tubular cells extending along its length, the cells bounded by walls dividing adjacent cells from one another. A ceramic unit is obtained by cutting off, curing and firing a length of the extrusion a length of the extrusion. Following the firing, a mixture of a flowable, uncured curable material and a particulate metal component is injected from an end of the ceramic unit into selected ones of the cells so as to block the selected cells over at least a part of their lengths while maintaining all of the walls of the ceramic unit. The injected mixture is then cured to render it solid.

Methods of preparing cast-in-place geopolymer piles using electrical heating wire (130) to provide heat to cure the piles are described. The heating wire (130) can be associated with a reinforcement cage (120) inserted in the pile shaft. Rod-shaped heating units comprising electrical heating wire (130) can be inserted into a pile shaft and can be reusable. Geopolymer piles with high compressive strength can be prepared from mixtures of class F fly ash and aqueous sodium hydroxide by heating the piles with the heating wire to a stable curing temperature for at least about 24 hours.

A method of preparing a cement hydration product nano-thin film, the method including: (1) preparing a cement hydration product; (2) preparing a water sacrificial layer film; (3) depositing the cement hydration product obtained in (1) on the surface of the water sacrificial layer film obtained in (2) to obtain a cement hydration product film; and (4) immersing the cement hydration product film in a saturated aqueous solution of calcium hydroxide to dissolve the water sacrificial layer film to obtain a nano-thin film of the cement hydration product.

A method of preparing a cement hydration product nano-thin film, the method including: (1) preparing a cement hydration product; (2) preparing a water sacrificial layer film; (3) depositing the cement hydration product obtained in (1) on the surface of the water sacrificial layer film obtained in (2) to obtain a cement hydration product film; and (4) immersing the cement hydration product film in a saturated aqueous solution of calcium hydroxide to dissolve the water sacrificial layer film to obtain a nano-thin film of the cement hydration product.

The present invention is a system for repairing asphalt. The system includes a discrete quantity of an asphalt repair composition located within a container and an induction heater. The composition is a combination of an asphalt binder, aggregate particles, and induction particles. The average diameter of the induction particles ranges from approximately 10% above to approximately 10% below an average diameter of the aggregate particles used in the composition. The induction heater heats the composition within the container by generating a magnetic field that penetrates the container. The magnetic field creates eddy currents in the induction particles. These eddy currents in turn heat the composition. Because the induction particles are distributed throughout the composition, the composition heats rapidly.

The present invention is a system for repairing asphalt. The system includes a discrete quantity of an asphalt repair composition located within a container and an induction heater. The composition is a combination of an asphalt binder, aggregate particles, and induction particles. The average diameter of the induction particles ranges from approximately 10% above to approximately 10% below an average diameter of the aggregate particles used in the composition. The induction heater heats the composition within the container by generating a magnetic field that penetrates the container. The magnetic field creates eddy currents in the induction particles. These eddy currents in turn heat the composition. Because the induction particles are distributed throughout the composition, the composition heats rapidly.

In a process for manufacturing a catalytic converter component, a ceramic unit is used that has been prepared by extruding green ceramic product through a die to form an extrusion having a honeycomb substrate structure in which tubular passages extend along the extrusion, the passages bounded by walls dividing adjacent passages from one another. The unit is obtained by cutting off a length of the extrusion and curing and firing it. The process further comprises, following the firing, injecting a mixture of a mastic component and a particulate metal component from an end of the ceramic unit into selected ones of the cells so as to block the selected cells over at least a part of the lengths thereof while maintaining all of the walls of the ceramic unit, and curing the injected material to render the injected material solid.

In a process for manufacturing a catalytic converter component, a ceramic unit is used that has been prepared by extruding green ceramic product through a die to form an extrusion having a honeycomb substrate structure in which tubular passages extend along the extrusion, the passages bounded by walls dividing adjacent passages from one another. The unit is obtained by cutting off a length of the extrusion and curing and firing it. The process further comprises, following the firing, injecting a mixture of a mastic component and a particulate metal component from an end of the ceramic unit into selected ones of the cells so as to block the selected cells over at least a part of the lengths thereof while maintaining all of the walls of the ceramic unit, and curing the injected material to render the injected material solid.

Methods of preparing cast-in-place geopolymer piles using electrical heating wire (130) to provide heat to cure the piles are described. The heating wire (130) can be associated with a reinforcement cage (120) inserted in the pile shaft. Rod-shaped heating units comprising electrical heating wire (130) can be inserted into a pile shaft and can be reusable. Geopolymer piles with high compressive strength can be prepared from mixtures of class F fly ash and aqueous sodium hydroxide by heating the piles with the heating wire to a stable curing temperature for at least about 24 hours.