Transparent and insulating materials having evacuated capsules are provided. According to an aspect of the invention, a method includes forming evacuated capsules within a solution, and dispersing and suspending the evacuated capsules within the solution such that a packing density of the evacuated capsules within the solution is greater than 30%, and a visible light transmission of the solution including the evacuated capsules is greater than 75%. According to another aspect of the invention, a layer includes a plurality of evacuated capsules distributed within a dried sol-gel. A thermal conductivity of the layer is between 0.02 W/m-K and 0.001 W/m-K, and the layer has a visible light transmission of greater than 30%.

The invention relates to a ceramic particulate and polymer composite having enhanced viscoelastic and rheological properties.

A composition, utility material, and method of making a utility material is disclosed. A composition having an improved setting time may include a plurality of microparticles mixed with a sodium silicate binder and an isocyanate setting agent, where the microparticle composition has a setting time of less than or equal to one hour. A utility material may be a wallboard that includes the composition.

The invention relates to a hollow glass microsphere and polymer composite having enhanced viscoelastic and rheological properties.

A composition, utility material, and method of making a utility material is disclosed. A composition having an improved setting time may include a plurality of microparticles mixed with a sodium silicate binder and an isocyanate setting agent, where the microparticle composition has a setting time of less than or equal to one hour. A utility material may be a wallboard that includes the composition.

The invention relates to a ceramic particulate and polymer composite having enhanced viscoelastic and rheological properties.

The present invention relates to composite materials and the use thereof as energy resistant, for example blast-resistant, materials. Preferred aspects of the invention relate to layered composite panels comprising solid foam materials which have both a blast attenuation function and an anti-ballistic function. In further aspects, the invention provides novel composite panels which are suitable for use as blast resistant and/or anti-ballistic materials. In some examples described, the layered composite panel comprises a polymeric material (10) bonded to a first solid open-cell foam panel (12), and a cured polymeric material (14) penetrates a surface of the first solid open-cell foam panel (12).

In some embodiments, a shelter includes an impact-resistant panel having an energy-absorbing core positioned between two outer layers, wherein the energy-absorbing core includes a syntactic foam material that has a plurality of hollow microspheres compounded with a polymeric resin.

A composition, utility material, and method of making a utility material is disclosed. A composition having an improved setting time may include a plurality of microparticles mixed with a sodium silicate binder and an isocyanate setting agent, where the microparticle composition has a setting time of less than or equal to one hour. A utility material may be a wallboard that includes the composition.

An electrically conductive surfacing material capable of providing sufficient conductivity for lightning strike protection (LSP) and/or electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding is disclosed. The conductive surfacing material is a multi-layered structure having a very thin conductive layer (e.g. solid metal foil) and a resin film formed on at least one surface of the conductive layer. The resin film is formed from a curable resin composition containing an epoxy novolac resin, a tri-functional or tetra-functional epoxy resin, ceramic microspheres, a latent amine-based curing agent, particulate inorganic fillers; and a toughening component. Optionally, the resin film further includes conductive additives to increase electrical conductivity of the surfacing material. The resin film exhibits high T.sub.g as well as high resistance to paint stripper solutions. Furthermore, the conductive surfacing material is suitable for co-curing with fiber-reinforced resin composite substrates.