Thermal barrier curtain systems include a thermal barrier curtain and port and starboard anchor/hoist strap assemblies. The thermal barrier curtain includes forward and aft flexible air-impervious panels which are sealed about peripheral edges thereof so as to define a central thermal barrier region and separator elements positioned between and attached to the forward and aft panels within the central thermal barrier region so as to define a dead air space therebetween. Each of the port and starboard anchor/hoist strap assemblies includes an elongate strap, upper and lower attachment members positioned at opposed upper and lower ends of the elongate strap, an upper attachment loop adapted to receive and be attached to a respective connection element of the thermal barrier curtain, and an intermediate retaining loop which is adapted to receive and be attached to the lower attachment member of the anchor/hoist assembly.

A heat protective sleeve includes a body being cylindrical extending along a longitudinal direction and comprising a triply periodic minimal surfaces (TPMS) structure, an open cell foam structure, or a lattice structure. A strip extends along the longitudinal direction of the body. The strip is a same material as the TPMS structure, the open cell foam structure, or the lattice structure. The material of the strip is solid and without holes through it. An endcap removably couples to the body. In some examples, the body has fastening threads and the endcap has mating threads. The mating threads of the endcap are configured to engage with the fastening threads of the body to releasably couple the endcap to the body.

A method for forming a super-insulating material for a vacuum insulated structure includes disposing glass spheres within a rotating drum. A plurality of interstitial spaces are defined between the glass spheres. A binder material is disposed within the rotating drum. The glass spheres and the at least one binder material are rotated within the rotating drum, wherein the binder material is mixed during a first mixing stage with the glass spheres. A first insulating material is disposed within the rotating drum. The binder material, the first insulating material and the glass spheres are mixed to define an insulating base. A second insulating material is disposed within the rotating drum. The secondary insulating material is mixed with the insulating base to define a homogenous form of the super-insulating material, wherein the first and second insulating materials occupy substantially all of the interstitial spaces.

A system including modular units of packaged phase change material; means to secure the modular units of packaged phase change material to a roof of a structure; and wherein the phase change material being packaged in an infrared reflective and ultraviolet stable material. A housing may also be used to retain the modular units of packaged phase change material. The phase change material serves to reduce the energy load of the structure.

Disclosed are formaldehyde-free, thermally-curable, alkaline, aqueous binder compositions. Also disclosed are compositions comprising formaldehyde-free, thermally-curable binder compositions, as described herein, applied to non-woven fibers. Uses of the disclosed binder compositions as binders for non-woven fibers are also disclosed.

An insulated structure includes a plurality of walls and a cavity defined by the plurality of walls. A core material is disposed within the cavity. The core material includes particles with a diameter that is in a range of 80-1600 μm. The core material disposed within the cavity can have a density in a range of greater than 350 kg/m.sup.3 to 600 kg/m.sup.3. Methods of manufacturing the insulated structure also disclosed.

A method of forming a vacuum insulated structure includes providing a structural envelope an insulating cavity defined within the structural envelope. An expanding device is attached to opposing outer walls of the structural envelope and the interior cavity is expanded by pulling the opposing outer walls away from one another to define an expanded state. An insulating material is disposed within the insulating cavity to occupy substantially all of the insulating cavity in the expanded state. Gas is expressed from the insulating cavity to collapse the structural envelope to a final state and a final interior volume that is less than the expanded interior volume. The final state of the structural envelope defines a densified state of the insulating material within the insulating cavity. The vacuum port is then closed to hermetically seal the insulating cavity.

(Problem) In conventional method for producing artificial graphite, in order to obtain a product having excellent crystallinity, it was necessary to mold a filler and a binder and then repeat impregnation, carbonization and graphitization, and since carbonization and graphitization proceeded by a solid phase reaction, a period of time of as long as 2 to 3 months was required for the production and cost was high and further, a large size structure in the shape of column and cylinder could not be produced. In addition, nanocarbon materials such as carbon nanotube, carbon nanofiber and carbon nanohorn could not be produced. (Means to solve) A properly pre-baked filler is sealed in a graphite vessel and is subsequently subjected to hot isostatic pressing (HIP) treatment, thereby allowing gases such as hydrocarbon and hydrogen to be generated from the filler and precipitating vapor-phase-grown graphite around and inside the filler using the generated gases as a source material, and thereby, an integrated structure of carbide of the filler and the vapor-phase-grown graphite is produced. In addition, nanocarbon materials are produced selectively and efficiently by adding a catalyst or adjusting the HIP treating temperature.

A method for continuous production of a thermally insulating mixture comprising silica particles and opacifier particles, in which a premixed stream comprising a carrier gas, silica particles and opacifier particles is introduced into a fine impact mill, ground and mixed therein, after which the solid is separated from the gas stream, wherein the fine impact mill is an air-stream mill comprising grinding tracks arranged one above the other on a rotatable shaft.

One aspect of the heat insulator of the present invention includes a porous sintered body having a porosity of 70 vol % or more and less than 91 vol %, and pores having a pore size of 0.8 μm or more and less than 10 μm occupy 10 vol % or more and 70 vol % or less of the total pore volume, while pores having a pore size of 0.01 μm or more and less than 0.8 μm occupy 5 vol % or more and 30 vol % or less of the total pore volume. The porous sintered body is formed from an MgAl.sub.2O.sub.4 (spinel) raw material and fibers formed of an inorganic material, the heat conductivity of the heat insulator at 1000° C. or more and 1500° C. or less is 0.40 W/(m.Math.K) or less, and the weight ratio of Si relative to Mg in the porous sintered body is 0.15 or less.