A lightweight thermal insulating cement-based material is formed from a mixture that includes cement, water and a foaming agent. The foaming agent can be an aluminum powder or a surfactant. The insulating material has a maximum use temperature of about 900 degrees Celsius or more.

A bottom face processing method of a pillar-shaped honeycomb structure including steps of: preparing a pillar-shaped honeycomb structure including a plurality of first cells which extend in parallel with each other from a first bottom face to a second bottom face, and each of which is opened in the first bottom face and has a protruding plugged portion in the second bottom face, and a plurality of second cells each of which is adjacent to at least one of the first cells with a partition wall interposed therebetween, which extend in parallel with each other from the first bottom face to the second bottom face, and each of which has a protruding plugged portion in the first bottom face, and is opened in the second bottom face; and removing the protruding portion from the plugged portion of each of the first cells and the second cells of the pillar-shaped honeycomb structure.

A method of manufacturing a honeycomb body, comprising extruding honeycomb extrudate (200) in an axial direction (A), the honeycomb extrudate (200) having an outer periphery (206); and laser machining in situ the honeycomb extrudate (200) to form a laser cut in the honeycomb extrudate. A system for in situ cutting a wet green ceramic extrudate, comprising a laser (500, 732, 826) configured to irradiate laser energy to an outer periphery of a wet green ceramic article, the laser energy adapted to cut through at least a portion of the outer periphery (206).

Disclosed is a machinable dental bulk block that is a glass ceramic block including an amorphous glass matrix and crystalline phases introduced into the matrix. A major crystalline phase is lithium disilicate and a minor crystalline phase is lithium phosphate. The dental block is made of a functionally gradient material in which the major crystalline phase exhibits a gradient of particle sizes in a depth direction of the dental block and which has no interface at a point where the gradient of particle sizes of the major crystalline phase changes. The dental bulk block is useful for production of a dental prosthesis (artificial tooth) similar to a natural tooth. The dental bulk block can reduce time and the number of processing steps to manufacture a dental prosthesis and provides improved structural stability through good force distribution obtained by functionally graded mechanical properties.

Disclosed is a machinable dental bulk block that is a glass ceramic block including an amorphous glass matrix and crystalline phases introduced into the matrix. A major crystalline phase is lithium disilicate and a minor crystalline phase is lithium phosphate. The dental block is made of a functionally gradient material in which the major crystalline phase exhibits a gradient of particle sizes in a depth direction of the dental block and which has no interface at a point where the gradient of particle sizes of the major crystalline phase changes. The dental bulk block is useful for production of a dental prosthesis (artificial tooth) similar to a natural tooth. The dental bulk block can reduce time and the number of processing steps to manufacture a dental prosthesis and provides improved structural stability through good force distribution obtained by functionally graded mechanical properties.

A reduced weight, reduced density gypsum panel that includes high expansion vermiculite with fire resistance capabilities that are at least comparable to (if not better than) commercial fire rated gypsum panels with a much greater gypsum content, weight and density.

A reduced weight, reduced density gypsum panel that includes high expansion vermiculite with fire resistance capabilities that are at least comparable to (if not better than) commercial fire rated gypsum panels with a much greater gypsum content, weight and density.

A method of forming an integral fastener for a ceramic matrix composite component comprises the steps of forming a fiber preform, applying a polymer material to the fiber preform to form a rigid preform structure, machining an opening in the rigid preform structure, forming a fiber fastener, inserting the fiber fastener into the opening, removing the polymer material, and infiltrating a matrix material into the rigid preform structure and fiber fastener to form a ceramic matrix composite component with an integral fastener. A gas turbine engine is also disclosed.

A method of forming an integral fastener for a ceramic matrix composite component comprises the steps of forming a fiber preform, applying a polymer material to the fiber preform to form a rigid preform structure, machining an opening in the rigid preform structure, forming a fiber fastener, inserting the fiber fastener into the opening, removing the polymer material, and infiltrating a matrix material into the rigid preform structure and fiber fastener to form a ceramic matrix composite component with an integral fastener. A gas turbine engine is also disclosed.

A method for recycling concrete mass in a slipform casting process, where the concrete mass is first cast and compacted with a slipform casting machine comprising a restricted cross-section to form a concrete product to be cast and at least one concrete mass tank for feeding concrete mass to the restricted cross-section, and the cast concrete mass is removed from areas of the fresh cast portion of the concrete product, wherein the removed fresh concrete mass is conveyed and dosed back to the at least one concrete mass tank of the slipform casting machine. The invention also relates to a system and a casting machine for implementing the method.