Provided is artificial marble including an artificial marble substrate having a first surface having an arithmetic mean roughness (Ra) of 1 m to 12 m; and a photocatalyst layer directly on the first surface. The artificial marble according to the present invention is lighter than existing natural stone and exhibits excellent thermoformability, and also has excellent antifouling properties by means of a photocatalyst, and thus can be widely used in various fields requiring artificial marble.

Provided is artificial marble including an artificial marble substrate having a first surface having an arithmetic mean roughness (Ra) of 1 m to 12 m; and a photocatalyst layer directly on the first surface. The artificial marble according to the present invention is lighter than existing natural stone and exhibits excellent thermoformability, and also has excellent antifouling properties by means of a photocatalyst, and thus can be widely used in various fields requiring artificial marble.

Disclosed is a composite gypsum board comprising a board core and a concentrated layer, as well as related methods of preparing board and slurries. The board core and the concentrated layer both are formed from water and stucco. The concentrated layer is designed to have higher density and/or nail pull than the core. The concentrated layer is further formed from one or more of starch thickener, cellulose, and/or copolymer containing polyacrylamide and acrylic acid. In some embodiments, the concentrated layer is formed from an enhancing additive to enhance strength therein, while the core is formed without using enhancing additive or less enhancing additive than used in forming the board core.

The present disclosure relates more particularly to roofing granules, such as solar-reflective roofing granules, and to methods for making and using them in roofing products. Provided are, for example, a collection of solar-reflective roofing granules having a solar reflectivity of at least 70%, (e.g., at least 80 wt % or even at least 90 wt %) of the solar-reflective roofing granules of the collection having a major aspect ratio of at least 4 and a minor aspect ratio of at least 3. Also provided is a roofing product that includes a substrate; a bituminous material coated on the substrate, the bituminous material having a top surface; and a collection of solar-reflective roofing granules as described herein disposed on the top surface of the bituminous material, thereby substantially coating the bituminous material in a region thereof.

The present disclosure relates more particularly to roofing granules, such as solar-reflective roofing granules, and to methods for making and using them in roofing products. Provided are, for example, a collection of solar-reflective roofing granules having a solar reflectivity of at least 70%, (e.g., at least 80 wt % or even at least 90 wt %) of the solar-reflective roofing granules of the collection having a major aspect ratio of at least 4 and a minor aspect ratio of at least 3. Also provided is a roofing product that includes a substrate; a bituminous material coated on the substrate, the bituminous material having a top surface; and a collection of solar-reflective roofing granules as described herein disposed on the top surface of the bituminous material, thereby substantially coating the bituminous material in a region thereof.

Methods for embedding photocatalytic titanium dioxide in concrete surfaces to reduce pollutants via photocatalytic reactions are provided herein. One method includes mixing a solvent compound with an anatase titanium dioxide (TiO.sub.2) photocatalyst, applying an amount of concrete treatment compound to an upper surface of the concrete, the concrete treatment compound comprising a mixture of a liquid carrier compound with the anatase titanium dioxide (TiO.sub.2) photocatalyst.

Methods for embedding photocatalytic titanium dioxide in concrete surfaces to reduce pollutants via photocatalytic reactions are provided herein. One method includes mixing a solvent compound with an anatase titanium dioxide (TiO.sub.2) photocatalyst, applying an amount of concrete treatment compound to an upper surface of the concrete, the concrete treatment compound comprising a mixture of a liquid carrier compound with the anatase titanium dioxide (TiO.sub.2) photocatalyst.

The present disclosure describes modular blocks configured to give the appearance of natural or cut stone. An aesthetic coating composition may be applied to one or more surfaces of a block having a low-density, such as an insulating concrete form (ICF), to form an modular block having the appearance of cut stone. The aesthetic coating composition includes a binder component, such as a cementitious binder made from white Portland cement, or a polymer binder such as an acrylic binder, an aggregate component, such as a limestone aggregate component, and optionally an adhesive component. The aggregate component includes a fine sand portion and a coarse sand portion that effectively enable the appearance of cut stone after finishing of the aesthetic coating surface via sanding, polishing, sandblasting, acid etching, acid finishing, or exposed aggregate finishing.

Luminescent concrete compositions containing cement, fine aggregates such as sand, and a phosphor such as strontium aluminate. Glow-in-the-dark concrete products made therefrom and methods of producing such concrete products are also specified. The glow-in-the-dark concrete products demonstrate good mechanical strength (e.g. compressive strength) and skid resistance. The addition of phosphorescent strontium aluminate provides luminance that persists for up to 10 hours to the concrete products.

A method is described for increasing the slip resistance of a substrate. In embodiments, the method deposits a liquid treatment composition including at least one acid on a substrate that has at least one external surface that includes a salifiable alkaline or alkaline earth compound.