A porous body is provided with enhanced fluid transport properties that is capable of performing or facilitating separations, or performing reactions and/or providing areas for such separations or reactions to take place. The porous body includes at least 80 percent alpha alumina and has a pore volume from 0.3 mL/g to 1.2 mL/g and a surface area from 0.3 m.sup.2/g to 3.0 m.sup.2/g. The porous body further includes a pore architecture that provides at least one of a tortuosity of 7.0 or less, a constriction of 4.0 or less and a permeability of 30 mdarcys or greater. The porous body can be used in a wide variety of applications such as, for example, as a filter, as a membrane or as a catalyst carrier.

A porous body is provided with enhanced fluid transport properties that is capable of performing or facilitating separations, or performing reactions and/or providing areas for such separations or reactions to take place. The porous body includes at least 80 percent alpha alumina and has a pore volume from 0.3 mL/g to 1.2 mL/g and a surface area from 0.3 m.sup.2/g to 3.0 m.sup.2/g. The porous body further includes a pore architecture that provides at least one of a tortuosity of 7.0 or less, a constriction of 4.0 or less and a permeability of 30 mdarcys or greater. The porous body can be used in a wide variety of applications such as, for example, as a filter, as a membrane or as a catalyst carrier.

The manufacturing method of the honeycomb structure includes a raw material preparing step of adding the powder of porous silica as the inorganic pore former to a forming raw material and kneading the forming raw material to prepare the kneaded forming raw material, an extruding step of extruding the obtained forming raw material to form a honeycomb formed body, and a firing step of firing the extruded honeycomb formed body to form a honeycomb structure containing a cordierite component, and an amount of oil to be absorbed by the porous silica to be added to the forming raw material is in a range of 50 to 190 ml/100 g, and a BET specific surface area of the porous silica is in a range of 340 to 690 m.sup.2/g.

The manufacturing method of the honeycomb structure includes a raw material preparing step of adding the powder of porous silica as the inorganic pore former to a forming raw material and kneading the forming raw material to prepare the kneaded forming raw material, an extruding step of extruding the obtained forming raw material to form a honeycomb formed body, and a firing step of firing the extruded honeycomb formed body to form a honeycomb structure containing a cordierite component, and an amount of oil to be absorbed by the porous silica to be added to the forming raw material is in a range of 50 to 190 ml/100 g, and a BET specific surface area of the porous silica is in a range of 340 to 690 m.sup.2/g.

In some embodiments, a method may include preparing building forms including at least some cementitious materials. The method for preparing forms may include mixing substantially dry cementitious material particles with closed cell foam particles to form a substantially dry composition. In some embodiment, at least some of the cementitious material particles may adhere to at least some surface deformations on the surface of the closed cell foam particles. In some embodiments, the method may include mixing a second portion of water with the substantially dry composition for a second period of time to form a partially wet composition. In some embodiments, a method may include forming a building form including at least some cementitious materials from the partially wet composition. In some embodiments, the closed cell foam particles may include expanded polystyrene. In some embodiments, a ratio of the water to cementitious material particles may range from 0.20 to 0.40.

In some embodiments, a method may include preparing building forms including at least some cementitious materials. The method for preparing forms may include mixing substantially dry cementitious material particles with closed cell foam particles to form a substantially dry composition. In some embodiment, at least some of the cementitious material particles may adhere to at least some surface deformations on the surface of the closed cell foam particles. In some embodiments, the method may include mixing a second portion of water with the substantially dry composition for a second period of time to form a partially wet composition. In some embodiments, a method may include forming a building form including at least some cementitious materials from the partially wet composition. In some embodiments, the closed cell foam particles may include expanded polystyrene. In some embodiments, a ratio of the water to cementitious material particles may range from 0.20 to 0.40.

Disclosed herein are low density fiber cement articles, such as fiber cement building panels and sheets, comprised of multiple overlaying fiber cement substrate layers having small and uniform entrained air pockets and low density fillers distributed throughout. The combination of entrained air pockets and low density fillers provide a low density fiber cement matrix with physical and mechanical properties similar to comparable low density fiber cement matrix without entrained air pockets.

Disclosed herein are low density fiber cement articles, such as fiber cement building panels and sheets, comprised of multiple overlaying fiber cement substrate layers having small and uniform entrained air pockets and low density fillers distributed throughout. The combination of entrained air pockets and low density fillers provide a low density fiber cement matrix with physical and mechanical properties similar to comparable low density fiber cement matrix without entrained air pockets.

The present disclosure discloses a method and an article for improving the strength of carbonated calcium hydroxide compacts. The method includes the following steps: calcium hydroxide-rich materials, ordinary portland cement, magnesium hydroxide, pottery sand and water are mixed according to the mass ratio of 100:15-20:15-20:40-80:10-20, then the mixture was compressed, carbonated and naturally cured to obtain the carbonated compacts. The present disclosure utilizes cement hydration and magnesium hydroxide carbonation to consume the water produced by calcium hydroxide carbonation, the C-S-H gelation effect produced by cement hydration, the cementation effect of magnesium hydroxide carbonation products, the volume expansion effect of magnesium hydroxide carbonation and the gas transmission channel and internal curing effect of pottery sand further improve the carbonation degree, product gelation, thus greatly improving the strength of carbonated calcium hydroxide compacts.

The present disclosure discloses a method and an article for improving the strength of carbonated calcium hydroxide compacts. The method includes the following steps: calcium hydroxide-rich materials, ordinary portland cement, magnesium hydroxide, pottery sand and water are mixed according to the mass ratio of 100:15-20:15-20:40-80:10-20, then the mixture was compressed, carbonated and naturally cured to obtain the carbonated compacts. The present disclosure utilizes cement hydration and magnesium hydroxide carbonation to consume the water produced by calcium hydroxide carbonation, the C-S-H gelation effect produced by cement hydration, the cementation effect of magnesium hydroxide carbonation products, the volume expansion effect of magnesium hydroxide carbonation and the gas transmission channel and internal curing effect of pottery sand further improve the carbonation degree, product gelation, thus greatly improving the strength of carbonated calcium hydroxide compacts.