An admixture for mineral binder compositions, in particular an after-treatment agent for mineral binder compositions, including at least one water-absorbing substance and at least one shrinkage reducer.

A lightweight structural concrete formulation comprises a wet mix of about 460 kg/m.sup.3 of cementitious material such as ordinary Portland cement of which about 50 percent has been replaced by ground granulated basic furnace slag (GGBFS) and 7 percent by silica fume (SF) in other words the mix introduces between about 178 and 228 kg/m.sup.3 therefore the combination is good to produce secondary reaction products when the cement hydrates which produces secondary calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) which makes the structure dense and thereby increases its mechanical durability characteristics of the concrete product. Possible ratios of GGBFS and SF are 30-70 percent and 5-10 percent, respectively. By making the structures dense increases the mechanical and durability characteristics of the concrete product. Other ratios have been made including GGBFS of 30-70 percent and silica fume 5-10 percent, respectively. It can be noted that the silica fume was added to the mixture as a supplementary cementitious material (SCM) not as an aggregate. It should also be noted that the particle sizes of GGBFS ranges between about 20-40 mm and that of silica fume is less than 20 mm.

An object of the present invention is to provide a matted object capable of achieving both a lower range of glossiness and an antifouling property. A matted object includes a substrate, and a glassy layer provided on the surface of the substrate. The surface of the glassy layer has a 60-glossiness of 20 or less, a skewness Rsk of 0.5 or more, and a maximum height roughness Rz more than 2.5 m and less than 5.7 m, the skewness Rsk and the maximum height roughness Rz being specified in JIS B0601 (2001).

A clinker for use in cement manufacturing includes a cement clinker mixture having crystals of an element that is less electronegative than carbon and carbon bonded to at least a portion of the crystals.

Concrete is formed by providing a wet layer of a first concrete 4, applying a second wet layer 6 of concrete on the first layer 4 of wet concrete and setting the layers 4 and 6 to provide a composite concrete structure, wherein at least one of the layers comprises, AACM (Alkali-Activated Cementitious Material). An ionic bond 2 is formed between the two layers. The AACM layer may comprise a reinforcement structure and cathodic protection.

Disclosed is a structure of a matrix, reinforced with a plurality of polymeric fibers protruding from at least a portion of the structure surface, the fibers being capable of endowing (attributing) the at least a portion of the surfacewith biological or chemical resistance. In some embodiments, the polymeric fibers, as further discussed hereinbelow, contain or are coated with at least one biological or chemical agent which further contributes to the endowment of biological or chemical resistance.

The present disclosure provides an aqueous binder composition for forming a sacrificial corrosion-protective coating, said composition being free of chromates and also preferably free of borates and molybdates. Said binder composition advantageously has a pH of less than 6 and comprises a binder, particles of at least one metal oxide and at least one metallic phosphate, said binder comprising a hydrolyzed organosilane oligomer. In addition, the proportion by weight of said particles of at least one metal oxide relative to the total dry weight of said binder composition is greater than or equal to 75%.

The present invention relates to methods of treating a subterranean formation with a composition including a compound made by a microorganism or a microorganism that can make the compound. Various embodiments provide methods of using compositions for treatment of subterranean formations including exopolysaccharides or microorganisms that can make exopolysaccharides under downhole conditions. In various embodiments, the present invention provides a method of treating a subterranean formation, including providing at least one exopolysaccharide by subjecting an extremophilic or extremotolerant microorganism to conditions such that the microorganism forms the exopolysaccharide, or by subjecting a microorganism genetically modified using an extremophilic or extremotolerant microorganism to conditions such that the microorganism forms the exopolysaccharide. The method can also include contacting a composition including the exopolysaccharide with a subterranean material downhole.

Disclosed are asphalt binder compositions and methods for making such compositions with pure sterol:crude sterol blends. The sterol blends improve various rheological properties.

An article may include a substrate, such as a silicon-containing ceramic matrix composite, an environmental barrier coating (EBC) layer on the substrate, and a CMAS-resistant EBC layer on the EBC layer. The EBC layer may include at least one rare-earth disilicate (REDS). The CMAS-resistant EBC layer may include at least one rare-earth monosilicate (REMS) configured to react with CMAS to form crystalline reaction products. The CMAS-resistant EBC layer may include a plurality of vertical cracks extending from a surface of the CMAS-resistant EBC layer at least partially into the CMAS-resistant EBC layer. Additionally, or alternatively, the EBC layer may include a plurality of vertical cracks extending from a surface of the EBC layer into at least a portion of the EBC layer.