A composition for forming molded mantels, columns and other decorative enhancement to fireplace openings is formed of a mixture of alpha hemihydrate gypsum plaster, cement, filler and milled fiber. By using this composition with water and acrylic binder a mixture is formed which sets and gains strength quickly and is an ideal material for manufacturing architectural and decorative structures. Advantageously, a casted piece can be removed from a mold within two to three hours after casting. The finished product has a desired finish that is similar to a casted gypsum cement, referred to sometimes as a honed finish which can withstand high heat, discoloration and cracking while maintaining suitable strength when exposed to typical temperatures of a fireplace surround in indoor applications.

A ceramic fiber processing apparatus and method for processing ceramic fibers for the manufacture of ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) is provided. The apparatus includes a frame including a plurality of unidirectional ceramic fibers wound thereabout and extending across a void therein the frame to define a first planar array of ceramic fibers and a second planar array of ceramic fibers. During use, the frame is disposed in the ceramic fiber processing apparatus in a manner to enable gripping of the first planar array of ceramic fibers with a first gripper assembly and gripping of the second planar array of ceramic fibers with a second gripper assembly. A cutting mechanism provides cutting of the plurality of unidirectional ceramic fibers to separate the first planar array of ceramic fibers and the second planar array of ceramic fibers from one another.

A method of preparing a ceramic fabric for use in a ceramic matrix composite includes transforming a ceramic tow from a first tow geometry to a second tow geometry, thereby reducing a first dimension of the ceramic tow and increasing a second dimension of the ceramic tow orthogonal to the first dimension to produce a flattened tow. The method includes weaving or braiding the flattened ceramic tow to form a ceramic fabric.

The present disclosure provides a method of manufacturing a composite sandwich panel having a core formed of a plurality of cells extending vertically between a first skin and a second skin. The method includes creating at least one first strip and a second strip from a temporary material, each strip having at least one cavity having a succession of aligned half-cells, lining the cavity of the first strip with a fibrous ply, assembling the first strip and the second strip by interlocking the cavity of the first strip with the cavity of the second strip and trapping the fibrous ply therebetween, and trimming excess temporary material of the entirety of the strips formed during the preceding assembly step so as to form a new cavity which forms a succession of aligned half-cells.

A building panel with a high degree of isotropy with regard to the load bearing capacity and flexural strength. The building panel includes a first section and a second section, each section including at least one layer, each of the at least one layer having fibers, whereby the fibers are distributed substantially homogeneously throughout each layer, substantially parallel to the main surfaces of the panel and oriented predominantly in the same direction and the sections are firmly joined in transverse direction, and the first section is thinner than the second section.

The present disclosure provides a method of manufacturing a composite sandwich panel having a core formed of a plurality of cells extending vertically between a first skin and a second skin. The method includes creating at least one first strip and a second strip from a temporary material, each strip having at least one cavity having a succession of aligned half-cells, lining the cavity of the first strip with a fibrous ply, assembling the first strip and the second strip by interlocking the cavity of the first strip with the cavity of the second strip and trapping the fibrous ply therebetween, and trimming excess temporary material of the entirety of the strips formed during the preceding assembly step so as to form a new cavity which forms a succession of aligned half-cells.

Provided is a building material that is lightweight, exhibits excellent formability, and is inhibited from being damaged during transportation, and a method for producing the same. Specifically, provided is a method for producing a building material, including: a first step of curing a core layer material including a hydraulic material, a silica-containing material, and an aluminum powder, to react the aluminum powder and form bubbles, and incompletely hardening the hydraulic material and the silica-containing material, to form a foamed core layer; a second step of dispersing a surface layer material including a hydraulic material, and a silica-containing material, to form an unfoamed surface layer; a third step of stacking the foamed core layer on the unfoamed surface layer, to form a stack including the unfoamed surface layer and the foamed core layer; and a fourth step of pressing and curing the stack, and a building material produced therewith.

Continuous method including: mixing water and cementitous powder to form slurry; mixing the slurry and reinforcement fibers in a single pass horizontal continuous mixer to form fiber-slurry mixture, the mixer including an elongated mixing chamber having a reinforcement fiber inlet port, and upstream of the fiber inlet port is an inlet port to introduce water and cementitous powder together as one stream or at least two inlet ports to introduce water and dry cementitous powder separately as separate streams into the chamber, a rotating horizontal shaft/s within the chamber, part of the chamber for mixing the fibers and slurry and moving the fiber-slurry mixture to a mixture outlet; discharging the fiber-slurry mixture from the mixer outlet; forming and setting the fiber-slurry mixture on a moving surface; cutting the set mixture into fiber reinforced concrete panels and removing the panels from the moving surface.

A method in which a stream of dry cementitious powder passes through a first conduit and aqueous medium stream passes through a second conduit to feed a slurry mixer to make cementitious slurry. The cementitious slurry passes through a third conduit and a reinforcement fiber stream passes through a fourth conduit to feed a fiber-slurry mixer which mixes the slurry and discrete fibers to make a stream of fiber-slurry mixture. An apparatus for performing the method is also disclosed.

A construction method for a spatial aggregate reinforced 3D printed concrete structure, includes: selecting a structural member, performing mechanical analysis, and determining a basic dosage and a printing and weaving process of an implanted reinforcement, determining a type, positioning and dosage of a spatial aggregate, preparing 3D printing materials, editing an electromagnetic signal and positioning push program according to the selected positioning and dosage of the spatial rigid aggregate, the 3D printing material is extruded along the printing and weaving process and the spatial rigid aggregate is evenly scattered, and realizing the connection between spatial aggregates and the connection between the spatial aggregates and the reinforcements, a spatial aggregate reinforced 3D printed concrete structure is formed after layer-by-layer construction, superimposed and hardened, or after segmented printing, component nodes are connected through lap design of preset tenon and mortise and reinforcement.