Water-soluble polymers containing repeat units of methacrylic acid may be used as plasticizers for geopolymer composition. Geopolymer compositions made from an aluminosilicate and an alkali activator plasticized by a polymer containing repeat units derived from methacrylic acid or salts thereof, methacrylate, or mixtures thereof.

A method for manufacturing a sintered body, the method including heating a mixture that contains a plurality of particles of a metal oxide having a spinel-type structure, and a metal acetylacetonate under pressure at a temperature of from a melting point or higher of the metal acetylacetonate to 600 C. or lower, to form a sintered body that contains the metal oxide having the spinel-type structure.

A method for manufacturing a sintered body, the method including heating a mixture that contains a plurality of particles of a metal oxide having a spinel-type structure, and a metal acetylacetonate under pressure at a temperature of from a melting point or higher of the metal acetylacetonate to 600 C. or lower, to form a sintered body that contains the metal oxide having the spinel-type structure.

A method for rapid biocementation of a material under low moisture conditions includes mixing a cell lysate of a urease-producing microbe with the material and, optionally, a calcium source and/or a carbon source, under initial moisture conditions of less than about 15% by weight to form a cementing composition; incubating the cementing composition for a selected time under pressure conditions of between 0 to 1500 bars to form an incubated mixture; and curing the incubated mixture for hours to weeks.

Disclosed herein are concrete and asphalt crack filler compounds and methods for utilizing them. According to some embodiments, a method of utilizing one of the compounds can include the steps of (1) obtaining a surface crack filler compound, (2) depositing the surface crack filler compound into a surface crack (e.g., concrete, asphalt, etc.), and (3) depositing water onto the surface crack filler compound to cause the surface crack filler compound to solidify and fill the surface crack. Additionally, and according to some embodiments, the method can further include, prior to depositing the surface crack filler compound into the surface crack: removing debris from the surface crack using at least one of a brush, pressurized air, or pressurized water.