This gel-form composition contains (A) an organoalkoxysilane of the following formula and/or a partially hydrolyzed condensate of the organoalkoxysilane, R.sup.1.sub.aSi(OR.sup.2).sub.4-a (R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are monovalent hydrocarbon groups, and a is 1, 2, or 3), (B) an aluminum dicarboxylate of the following formula (R.sup.3COO).sub.2Al(OH) (R.sup.3 is a monovalent hydrocarbon group), (C) a C6-24 fatty acid, (D) a C6-30 dicarboxylic acid, and (E) an aluminum oligomer and/or aluminum alkoxide selected from aluminum oxide organoxides and aluminum oxide acylates. It is thereby possible to: obtain a water absorption inhibitor that imparts an excellent water absorption-inhibiting property to the surfaces of porous materials; and provide a method for imparting a water absorption-inhibiting property by applying the water absorption inhibitor to the surface of a porous material, and a porous material that is surface-treated by the water absorption inhibitor.

Provided are halogen-free coatings, and methods for making and using such halogen-free coatings, for water and oil protection or repellants, which coatings control and/or eliminate the effect of humidity and oily substances on one or more of a variety of surfaces. These coatings and methods exhibit minimal toxicity to humans, non-human animals, including pets, and the environment more generally. The presently-disclosed coatings, which do not contain a halogen component, may be suitably employed, for example, on monuments, textiles, metals, stone, ceramic, wood, or other surface.

Coated components, along with methods of their formation, are provided. The coated component may include a ceramic substrate having a Si-treated layer surrounding a ceramic core and an environmental barrier coating on the Si-treated layer of the ceramic substrate. The ceramic core may include silicon carbide, and the Si-treated layer may be pretreated to tailor its surface's properties for inhibiting or delaying the formation of carbon oxides to upon exposure of the Si-treated layer to oxygen.

The present invention relates to processes and apparatuses for producing hydrophobized fiber cement sheets as well as fiber cement sheets obtainable therewith. In particular, the present invention provides processes for manufacturing a hydrophobized fiber cement product, said process at least comprising the steps of: (i) forming at least one fiber cement film on a rotating sieve in contact with a fiber cement slurry in a vat; (ii) transferring said at least one fiber cement film from said sieve to a felt transport belt, (iii) applying a mist of a hydrophobizing agent to said at least one fiber cement film, and (iv) accumulating the fiber cement film on an accumulator roll via the felt transport belt, so as to form a hydrophobized fiber cement product. The present invention further relates to various uses of the fiber cement sheets obtainable by the processes of the invention in the building industry.

A method of making a lithium alkylsiliconate composition comprising adding an alkylalkoxysilane to a first mixture comprising lithium hydroxide and water to form a second mixture comprising a lithium alkylsiliconate and an alcohol, wherein i) the mole ratio of lithium hydroxide to alkylalkoxysilane is from 0.9 to less than 1.1 and the water is from 89 to 93 mol %, or ii) the mole ratio of lithium hydroxide to alkylalkoxysilane is from 1.1 to 1.4 and the water is from greater than 93 to 99 mole %.

A sealer composition for a cementitious substrate, a cementitious structure sealed with the sealer composition, and a method of sealing a steel reinforced cementitious structure with the sealer composition. The sealer composition includes a substantially non-aqueous blend of a first silane, a second silane having a higher molecular weight than the first silane, and a corrosion inhibitor. The corrosion inhibitor is soluble in silane, soluble in solvent-diluted silane, and at least partially soluble in water. The cementitious structure includes a cementitious substrate and the sealer applied to the surface of the substrate and at least partially penetrating into the substrate. The method of sealing a steel reinforced cementitious structure from intrusion of corrosion-causing agents includes applying the sealer to the surface of a steel reinforced cementitious substrate and permitting the sealer composition to penetrate into the substrate to seal the substrate.

Processes for preparing oleophobic and hydrophobic coatings on a substrate. More particularly, the disclosure relates to omniphobic surface treatment of substrates such as glass, ceramic, glass-ceramic, and the like.

A concrete interface agent relates to the technical field of concrete surface protection, an ingredient of the concrete interface agent comprises 55 to 100 parts by weight of a nano-calcium salt solution and a nano-SiO.sub.2 precursor, 0.1 to 0.4 parts by weight of a surfactant, 30 to 60 parts by weight of a silane coupling agent and 10 to 40 parts by weight of a polydimethylsilane, an ingredient of the nano-calcium salt solution comprises 2 to 5 parts by weight of a calcium hydroxide, 2 to 5 parts by weight of an acid catalyst and 200 to 500 parts by weight of an alcohol-based organic solvent, which can form a coating layer with higher hydrophobic angle on the concrete surface, reduce the water absorption of the concrete, and is not easy to crack after drying, which has more protective effect and longer service life than the existing TEOS interface agent.

Embodiments may include a coated granule for roofing systems. The coated granule may include an aluminum silicate granule and a coating disposed on the aluminum silicate granule. The coating may include a copolymer and a siloxane-based or a silane-based compound. The copolymer may be a cationic fluorinated (meth)acrylic copolymer. The aluminum silicate granule may have a particle size in a range from 0.2 mm to 2.4 mm. The aluminum silicate granule may have a 65% or greater reflectivity. The coated granule may repel oil and maintain its reflectivity better than with other techniques.

A process for producing an ammonia-treated hydrophilic thermal insulation molding which includes treating a thermal insulation molding containing hydrophilic silica with ammonia by introducing the thermal insulation molding into a chamber and supplying gaseous ammonia until a pressure difference p of 20 mbar is achieved. A process for producing a thermal insulation molding containing hydrophobic silica which includes treating the ammonia-treated hydrophilic thermal insulation molding with an organosilicon compound.