A nanobubble-infused liquid is mixed into a dry concrete mix to form an infused wet concrete, where the nanobubble-infused liquid includes a concentration of nanobubbles of a gas at least double a natural concentration of nanobubbles of the gas within a natural state of the liquid. The nanobubble-infused liquid is preferably liquid water infused with a desired concentration of carbon-dioxide (CO.sub.2) nanobubbles sized within a certain prescribed range. The infused wet concrete is then transported to the mold of a concrete products forming machine to form a molded product that has enhanced qualities including increased carbon capture within the resulting concrete product, improved curing times, increased flowability, self-healing, and improved release from the product mold.

Fresh concrete is treated with carbon dioxide prior to delivery to a product mold for forming concrete products. Carbon dioxide gas is directed through a manifold, which may be coupled to a feedbox or a hopper, upstream from the product mold. Treating the fresh concrete with the carbon dioxide gas while it is in a loose state prior to placement in the product mold may generally promote uniform and enhanced carbon dioxide uptake.

A multi-zone cementitious product, which includes a base zone made of a first cementitious material composition and forming a portion of the product. At least one facing zone is adjacent to and bonded to the base zone, the facing zone made of a second cementitious material composition and forming at least one exterior face of said product which is visible when the product is installed. A disrupted boundary layer is between the facing zone and the base zone, and includes material from both the facing zone and the base zone. The disrupted boundary layer bonds the facing zone to the base zone. The facing zone has a thickness sufficient to prevent the base zone from being visible when the product is installed.

The invention relates to a ceramic and/or metal powder press, comprising a die (1) with a die surface (1o) and a die opening (2) for filling in and compressing a material, a fill shoe (3) arranged to be moveable along a travel path (4) across the die surface (1o) for filling the material (p), and feed tubes (7, 8) connected with the fill shoe (3) for filling the material into or via the fill shoe (3), wherein at least two such feed tubes (7, 8) are connected to the fill shoe (3) from a direction lateral to the travel path. The invention also relates to a method for compressing a compact (12) of a metallic and/or ceramic powder and/or granular material (p) in such a ceramic and/or metal powder press.

The invention relates to a dosing apparatus for dosing bulk material into block forming elements, and for arrangement on a filling car of a filling apparatus of a block-making machine for manufacturing patterned blocks, in particular paving blocks. The filling car may be pushed forward and backward over block forming elements in a displacement direction, and a first bulk material component may be filled into the block forming elements with this car. The dosing apparatus comprises at least one filling box that has a lower outlet that may be opened and closed by means of a closure. A second bulk material component may be filled from the filling box into the block forming elements via the lower outlet.

A distributor device for use in a filling shoe for filling a mould cavity of a powder compression die, the distributor device having an inlet portion connectable to a powder supply; an outlet portion with an outlet opening; and a distributor portion arranged between the inlet portion and the outlet portion. The distributor portion includes one or more guide elements arranged to divide the distributor portion into a plurality of distributor channels. The distributor channels have an input with an input cross-sectional area at an upstream end of the distributor channel and an output with an output cross-sectional area at a downstream end of the distributor channel, wherein the input cross-sectional area differs from the output cross-sectional area for at least one of the distributor channels.

A device for producing concrete blocks, in particular concrete paving slabs, having a mold for filling with a concrete mixture, wherein the mold has at least one mold cavity for receiving the concrete mixture, and wherein the upwardly open mold cavity has walls as lateral boundaries, and wherein the at least one mold cavity can be filled with the concrete mixture by means of a filling device, and wherein the mold with the at least one mold cavity and the filling device are movable relative to one another in a filling axis. The filling axis is oriented obliquely to an axis of symmetry of the at least one mold cavity, with the result that preferably all of the walls of the mold cavity extend neither perpendicularly nor parallel to the filling axis, but at an angle.

The invention relates to a dosing apparatus for dosing bulk material into block forming elements, and for arrangement on a filling car of a filling apparatus of a block-making machine for manufacturing patterned blocks, in particular paving blocks. The filling car may be pushed forward and backward over block forming elements in a displacement direction, and a first bulk material component may be filled into the block forming elements with this car. The dosing apparatus comprises at least one filling box that has a lower outlet that may be opened and closed by means of a closure. A second bulk material component may be filled from the filling box into the block forming elements via the lower outlet.

A casted block molding apparatus, including a mold, first and second filler boxes, and a pressing mechanism. The first filler box is displaceable along opposed directions between an overlapping position where a first bottom opening is located over the mold cavities and a retracted position away from the mold cavities. The first bottom opening is closed by a first cover in the retracted position and is open over the mold cavities. The second filler box is mounted to the first filler box and displaceable therewith along the opposed directions. The bottom opening of the second filler box is closed by a second cover when the filler boxes are displaced from the retracted position to the overlapping position. The second bottom opening is open after the first filler box reaches the overlapping position. A method for molding casted blocks is also discussed.

A punch unit is used in a powder press molding device that includes a die plate including a cavity in which a compacted powder pellet can be formed, the powder press molding device including a ram moving in a direction approaching the die plate and in a direction away from the die plate. The punch unit includes a punch inserted into the cavity of the die plate when the ram approaches the die plate, and a supporting portion supporting the punch reciprocatably, the punch unit being movable along a plane intersecting with the moving direction of the ram in a state where the punch is removed from the cavity. The punch unit is capable of shortening a distance in which the ram moves, and a cycle time can be shortened.