A pressing assembly (10) and a method for forming a depression (105) within a moving, wet gypsum board (100) is disclosed. The assembly comprises a pressing head (16) comprising a pressing surface which is arranged to contact the board, and a support member (17), the pressing head (16) being arranged to compress a portion of the board between the pressing surface and the support member (17) to form a depression (105) within the board (10). The pressing surface comprises a first and second surface portion (24, 25) separated by a relief portion (27), which is arranged to press the board (100) toward the support head (17) with less compressive force than the first and second surface portion (24, 25). The assembly further comprises drive means (18, 19, 22) for moving the pressing head and the support member in a first direction which substantially corresponds with the direction of the moving board, and a second direction which is substantially perpendicular to a plane of the board, while the speed of the pressing assembly in the first direction substantially matches the speed of the board.

A sintering-free inorganic ceramic brick-plate and its preparation method are disclosed. The sintering-free inorganic ceramic brick-plate includes following components by mass parts: 25-40 parts of magnesium oxide; 20-35 parts of magnesium chloride; 20-30 parts of fumed silica; 10-20 parts straw powders; 0.1-0.3 parts of graphene powders with a particle size of 2000 meshes; and 0.2-0.4 parts of airgel powders with a particle size of 100 nm. Compared with the prior art, the present invention utilizes a variety of raw natural non-toxic natural mineral raw materials, namely, the graphene powders with the particle size of 2000 meshes and the airgel powders with the particle size of 100 nm for mixing, and then the mixed raw materials can be solidified at room temperature and form sheets, and then the surface of the sheets is processed through printing or spraying glaze, so as to achieve the effect of high-grade tiles and natural marble.

A sintering-free inorganic ceramic brick-plate and its preparation method are disclosed. The sintering-free inorganic ceramic brick-plate includes following components by mass parts: 25-40 parts of magnesium oxide; 20-35 parts of magnesium chloride; 20-30 parts of fumed silica; 10-20 parts straw powders; 0.1-0.3 parts of graphene powders with a particle size of 2000 meshes; and 0.2-0.4 parts of airgel powders with a particle size of 100 nm. Compared with the prior art, the present invention utilizes a variety of raw natural non-toxic natural mineral raw materials, namely, the graphene powders with the particle size of 2000 meshes and the airgel powders with the particle size of 100 nm for mixing, and then the mixed raw materials can be solidified at room temperature and form sheets, and then the surface of the sheets is processed through printing or spraying glaze, so as to achieve the effect of high-grade tiles and natural marble.

A concrete composition and method include a portion of fine aggregate bearing a coating of a polymer or an admixture, which may be a continuous coating layer or a layer of powdered, discrete particles embedded in a binder. The polymeric coating may be an admixture in powdered form, a super absorbent polymer (insoluble in water, but absorbing water), or another polymer such as the acrylamides, co-polymers thereof, polyacrylamides, or the like (soluble in water). The coating absorbs water, but particles are too small to form significant voids. Water is absorbed into the concrete mix in far greater proportions (e.g. w/c ratio over 0.5) improving workability, doubling workability time, and improving ultimate compressive stress (strength).

A concrete composition and method include a portion of fine aggregate bearing a coating of a polymer or an admixture, which may be a continuous coating layer or a layer of powdered, discrete particles embedded in a binder. The polymeric coating may be an admixture in powdered form, a super absorbent polymer (insoluble in water, but absorbing water), or another polymer such as the acrylamides, co-polymers thereof, polyacrylamides, or the like (soluble in water). The coating absorbs water, but particles are too small to form significant voids. Water is absorbed into the concrete mix in far greater proportions (e.g. w/c ratio over 0.5) improving workability, doubling workability time, and improving ultimate compressive stress (strength).

A pug mill having a housing and a cantilevered shaft extending through the housing includes, in seriatim, a vacuum chamber, a wall, a mixing chamber and a reduction cone. A communication port about the shaft is positioned in the wall between the vacuum chamber and the mixing chamber. Vacuum can be maintained within the mixing chamber by air passing through the port. An auger associated with the shaft forces clay toward the reduction cone. This creates a seal for maintaining vacuum within the mixing chamber and extrudes cylindrical blocks of conditioned clay without significant air bubbles. A deflection plate rotating with the shaft and a spiral element about the shaft keep the communication port clear. The shaft is eccentrically mounted. The dividing wall is removable.

A pug mill having a housing and a cantilevered shaft extending through the housing includes, in seriatim, a vacuum chamber, a wall, a mixing chamber and a reduction cone. A communication port about the shaft is positioned in the wall between the vacuum chamber and the mixing chamber. Vacuum can be maintained within the mixing chamber by air passing through the port. An auger associated with the shaft forces clay toward the reduction cone. This creates a seal for maintaining vacuum within the mixing chamber and extrudes cylindrical blocks of conditioned clay without significant air bubbles. A deflection plate rotating with the shaft and a spiral element about the shaft keep the communication port clear. The shaft is eccentrically mounted. The dividing wall is removable.

A method for making a three-dimensional object by means of layer-wise application and selective solidification of a pulverulent building material The method includes applying a layer of the pulverulent building material onto a build area by an application device The application device includes a recoating unit movable across the build area in an application direction. The method further includes solidification of the applied powder layer at positions corresponding to a cross-section of the object to be made, and repeating the steps of applying and selective solidification until the object is completed. The pulverulent building material to be applied onto the build area is heated locally by a radiant heater before being applied.

A production method of pseudo-wood and pseudo-stone furniture or ornament material with natural grains has a characteristic in that, the magnesia, the magnesium chloride, the water and the glass fiber are used to function as the primary staple. Then, a determined amount of modifier, sawdust powder and talcum powder is added into the primary staple. Then, the mold and the framework are operated according to the determined steps. Then, the primary staple is shaped. Then, the primary staple performs an oxidation process to form the product. Thus, the product is directly manufactured by the mold, without needing multiple and complicated working steps.

Various embodiments of the invention include a method for combining slurry components to form a solid object. Various particular embodiments include a method including: combining a first slurry component with a second slurry component to form a homogenized slurry, wherein the first slurry component includes: a catalyst, and a vinyl binder, and wherein the second slurry component includes: a siloxane binder, and wherein at least one of the first slurry component and the second slurry component includes a particulate composition; introducing the homogenized slurry into a die; and curing the homogenized slurry in the die to form the solid object.