A method for making a low cost, lightweight carbon aggregate from coal at, above, or below atmospheric pressure, and a lightweight concrete composition utilizing the lightweight carbon aggregate is described.

A method for making a low cost, lightweight carbon aggregate from coal at, above, or below atmospheric pressure, and a lightweight concrete composition utilizing the lightweight carbon aggregate is described.

A concrete curing blanket includes an absorbent sheet having a wicking layer, super absorbent materials, and a tissue layer, which are laminated together to form the absorbent sheet. The absorbent sheet is sized for being spread over a curing concrete slab. A vapor barrier is bonded to the tissue layer of the absorbent sheet to inhibit evaporation from the concrete curing blanket, and includes a plurality of perforations.

The invention comprises a product. The product comprises a first removable concrete form having a concrete forming face and a first insulating panel insert having a first primary surface and an opposite second primary surface, wherein the second primary surface of the first insulating panel insert contacts the concrete forming face of the first removable concrete form. The product also comprises an elongate anchor member having an enlarged portion and an elongate portion, the elongate portion having a first end and an opposite second end, wherein the enlarged portion is disposed adjacent the first end and contacts the second primary surface of the first insulating panel insert and wherein the elongate portion extends through the first insulating panel insert and extends outwardly from the first primary surface of the first insulating panel insert. A method of using a removable insulated concrete form system is also disclosed.

The present invention provides fiber cement articles, such as roof tiles having improved impact and hail resistance and methods for making them. The fiber cement articles comprise cement, an optional filler, reinforcing fibers, such as poly(vinyl alcohol) fibers or a mixture of cellulosic and synthetic fibers, one or more core-shell aqueous emulsion polymers having a crosslinked rubbery core with a calculated glass transition temperature (calculated Tg) of from −20 to −140° C., and an at least partially grafted acrylic or vinyl shell polymer having a calculated Tg of from 20 to 170° C., and having a Z-average primary particle size of from 55 to 800 nm, or, preferably, from 140 to 650 nm. The solids weight ratio of the crosslinked rubbery core to the shell of the core-shell aqueous emulsion polymer may range from 85:20 to 97:3.

The present invention provides fiber cement articles, such as roof tiles having improved impact and hail resistance and methods for making them. The fiber cement articles comprise cement, an optional filler, reinforcing fibers, such as poly(vinyl alcohol) fibers or a mixture of cellulosic and synthetic fibers, one or more core-shell aqueous emulsion polymers having a crosslinked rubbery core with a calculated glass transition temperature (calculated Tg) of from −20 to −140° C., and an at least partially grafted acrylic or vinyl shell polymer having a calculated Tg of from 20 to 170° C., and having a Z-average primary particle size of from 55 to 800 nm, or, preferably, from 140 to 650 nm. The solids weight ratio of the crosslinked rubbery core to the shell of the core-shell aqueous emulsion polymer may range from 85:20 to 97:3.

Embodiments of the present invention describe a method for manufacture of a gel material comprising the steps of: forming a gel sheet by dispensing a gel precursor mixture; allowing gelation to occur to the gel precursor mixture; and cooling the formed gel with a cooling system to control reaction rate.

Embodiments of the present invention describe a method for manufacture of a gel material comprising the steps of: forming a gel sheet by dispensing a gel precursor mixture; allowing gelation to occur to the gel precursor mixture; and cooling the formed gel with a cooling system to control reaction rate.

In the method for manufacturing conglomerate stone slabs using the Bretonstone technology, in the variant where the starting mixture is enclosed between two paper sheets, the improvement consists in replacing each paper sheet with a containment element consisting of a paper sheet, one surface of which has, applied thereon, a film of plastic material which is impermeable to organic vapours, impermeable to the liquids and in particular to the liquid resin constituting the binder of said mixture, resistant to the catalysis temperatures of the said resin and resistant to hot solvents and chemical vapours. Preferably, said plastic material is water-soluble, in particular polyvinyl alcohol.

In the method for manufacturing conglomerate stone slabs using the Bretonstone technology, in the variant where the starting mixture is enclosed between two paper sheets, the improvement consists in replacing each paper sheet with a containment element consisting of a paper sheet, one surface of which has, applied thereon, a film of plastic material which is impermeable to organic vapours, impermeable to the liquids and in particular to the liquid resin constituting the binder of said mixture, resistant to the catalysis temperatures of the said resin and resistant to hot solvents and chemical vapours. Preferably, said plastic material is water-soluble, in particular polyvinyl alcohol.