The present application discloses a ceramic preform, a method of making a ceramic preform and a metal matrix composite comprising a ceramic preform. In one exemplary embodiment, the ceramic preform comprises a ceramic compound compressed into the shape of a cylinder by rotational compression molding. The cylinder has an inner surface and an outer surface. A first liner may be attached to the inner surface of the cylinder and a second liner may attached to the outer surface of the cylinder. The metal matrix composite of the present application may be formed as a brake drum or a brake disc.

This disclosure relates to using polyester films on building boards to enable improved surface coatings. The polyester film is preferably applied to a glass mat via an adhesive to form a laminate. This laminate is then bonded to the exterior surface of a gypsum board. The polyester film is advantageous because it allows for exterior surface coatings to be applied. In one embodiment, an exterior acrylic coating is applied to the polyester film. Boards constructed in accordance with this disclosure allow for exterior finishings to be achieved without the need for excessive finishing materials or steps.

A method of forming a coating layer on a fibrous mat to make a coated article includes depositing a coating composition on a carrier material and at least partially embedding a first major surface of a fibrous mat in the coating composition, the fibrous mat including a plurality of mat fibers. The coating composition is at least partially hardened to form a coating layer at the first major surface of the fibrous mat. A second major surface of the fibrous mat opposite the first major surface includes an uncoated portion of the plurality of mat fibers.

A production line and process including a moving carrier web for transporting the panel, and a device for controlling thickness of a formed, but not yet set, fiber reinforced cementitious panel slurry on the web. The thickness control device may include an angled rigid plate for contacting a downstream end of the angled plate with the slurry on the moving carrier web and a mounting stand for mounting the angled rigid. The thickness control device may include a flat horizontal plate at a fixed height over the moving carrier for contacting the entire lower surface of the horizontal plate with a facer on the slurry on the moving carrier web. Or, the thickness control device may include the angled plate and include the horizontal plate that contacts the facer.

Disclosed is an improved facer mat for use as a cover sheet for gypsum board. Also disclosed are gypsum boards containing such mat facers on one or both major surfaces of the board (face and back sides when installed), a method of manufacturing such board, and a method of making the mat. The mat can comprise glass, thermoplastic, and/or thermoset fiber. In preferred embodiments, binder is included with the fiber. The mat has outer and inner surfaces. The mat comprises a first region adjacent to the outer surface defined along a horizontal plane of the mat, the first region having a first substantial thickness, and a second region adjacent to the inner surface defined along a horizontal plane of the mat, the second region having a second substantial thickness. The first region has (a) more hydrophilicity than the second region, (b) more wettability than the second region, and/or (c) less density than the second region.

A building face material with printed indications is provided, where, even when any part of the building face material is cut in a cutting process in a manufacturing process, each first printed indication is marked at an allowable distance from an end side of the building face material that is rectangular in a plan view, and printed indications are preliminarily marked at predetermined intervals, in a given column.

The building face material 10 with printed indications includes printed indication strings each including one string group that is repeated in cycles, the string group being formed, in a plan view, on a rectangular flat face of the building face material, and the strip group consisting of multiple printed indications that are arranged, at regular first intervals, in a predetermined order along at least one straight line driven to a first side 11 or a second side 12 of a rectangle.

A method for manufacturing a part made of composite material includes injecting into a fibrous texture a slurry including at least one powder of refractory ceramic particles suspended in a liquid phase, filtering the liquid phase of the slurry and retaining the powder of refractory ceramic particles inside the texture so as to obtain a fibrous preform loaded with refractory ceramic particles, densifying the fibrous texture by treatment of the refractory ceramic particles present in the fibrous texture in order to form a refractory matrix in the texture. The method further includes, before injecting the slurry under pressure, pre-saturating the fibrous texture with a carrier fluid consisting in injecting into said texture a carrier fluid.

A method and device for producing lightweight panels with a core of gypsum or of cement and gypsum, with pores for decreasing volumetric weight, and with a covering made of cardboard or of a sheet of glass fibers. The production line does not change except for the addition of a device which forms closed hollow cavities within a suspension in an area where an upper sheet covers the suspension. Air pressure which is fed into the formed cavities is slightly higher than the hydraulic pressure of the suspension, so as to prevent the gaps being filled by the suspension. The layers are less thick, and the type and dimensions of the cavities and the thickness of the walls are varied depending on the desired qualities of the panels.

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.

A process for making an erosion control mat includes rotating a cylindrical drum having a plurality of mold cavities; depositing a paste into the mold cavities; selecting the sheet of mesh material to have sufficient tensile strength to join the blocks of hardened paste together without tearing or separating from the blocks of hardened paste, and to have sufficient density to retain the paste within the mold cavities as the drum rotates; covering an outer surface of the cylindrical drum and outer surfaces of the paste with the sheet of mesh material; continuing to rotate the cylindrical drum as the paste hardens into dimensionally stable blocks, and holding the sheet against the outer surface such that the sheet retains the paste within the mold cavities and the sheet becomes embedded in the paste; and separating the dimensionally stable blocks from the mold cavities.