The present invention provides a bidirectional energy-transfer system comprising: a thermally and/or electrically conductive concrete, disposed in a structural object; a location of energy supply or demand that is physically isolated from, but in thermodynamic and/or electromagnetic communication with, the thermally and/or electrically conductive concrete; and a means of transferring energy between the structural object and the location of energy supply or demand. The system can be a single node in a neural network. The thermally and/or electrically conductive concrete includes a conductive, shock-absorbing material, such as graphite. Preferred compositions are disclosed for the thermally and/or electrically conductive concrete. The bidirectional energy-transfer system may be present in a solar-energy collection system, a grade beam, an indoor radiant flooring system, a structural wall or ceiling, a bridge, a roadway, a driveway, a parking lot, a commercial aviation runway, a military runway, a grain silo, or pavers, for example.

A construction product described herein includes a fiber core that includes a plurality of entangled glass fibers. The fiber core also includes a binder that bonds the plurality of entangled glass fibers together and an Aerogel material that is homogenously or uniformly disposed within the fiber core. In some instances, the fiber core includes between 40 and 80 weight percent of the Aerogel material. The construction product has an R-value of at least 6.5 per inch, a flame spread index of no greater than 5, and a smoke development index of no greater than 20 as measured according to the ASTM E-84 tunnel test.

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to methods and materials for fabricating building materials and other components from coal. More specifically, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to materials and other components, such as char clay plaster, char brick, and foam glass fabricated from coal, and to methods of forming such materials. In an embodiment is provided a building material fabrication method. The method includes mixing an organic solvent with coal, under solvent extraction conditions, to form a coal extraction residue, and heating the coal extraction residue under pyrolysis conditions to form a pyrolysis char, the pyrolysis conditions comprising a temperature greater than about 500 C. The method further includes mixing the pyrolysis char with water and with one or more of clay, cement, or sand to create a mixture, and molding and curing the mixture to form a building material. Pyrolysis char-containing materials are also disclosed.

The present disclosure concerns a porous body made of a ceramic-matrix composite material for an acoustic attenuation panel and a method of manufacturing the porous body. The porous body includes a plurality of interwoven ceramic fibers, a metal oxide matrix, and a plurality of channels interwoven with the ceramic fibers and interconnected together. The channels define at least one cavity. In one form, at least one channel is wrapped around a ceramic fiber. In another form, at least one ceramic fiber and at least one channel are twisted together. In yet another form, at least one channel is wrapped around a ceramic fiber and twisted with the ceramic fiber. The present disclosure also concerns an acoustic attenuation panel including the porous body and an aircraft propulsion unit having such a panel.

A process for producing a mineral foam having water repellent properties includes a) separately preparing a slurry of cement and an aqueous foam, wherein the cement slurry includes water, at least one water repellent agent different from organosilicon compound, and Portland cement and the aqueous foam includes a co-stabiliser; b) contacting the slurry of cement with the aqueous foam to obtain a slurry of foamed cement; and c) casting the slurry of foamed cement and leave the slurry of foamed cement to set.

A process for the production of a mineral foam includes (i) separately preparing a slurry of cement and an aqueous foam, wherein the cement slurry includes water and Portland cement; (ii) contacting the slurry of cement with the aqueous foam to obtain a slurry of foamed cement; (iii) adding a magnesium salt source before, during or after step (ii); and (iv) casting the slurry of foamed cement and leave it to set.

A sound absorption material preparation method, a sound absorption material and a filling method thereof. The preparation method comprises: S1, preparing a non-foaming material slurry; S2, producing a combustible material framework and a cover-shape container, and placing the combustible material framework into the cover-shape container; S3, forming the non-foamed material slurry in the cover-shape container to form a wet formed body; S4, drying the wet formed body to form a dry formed body; and S5, calcining the dry formed body, wherein the combustible material framework is burned off during the calcining step to form connected channels with a three-dimensional structure in the sound absorption material. The preparation method is simple in operation. Connected channels with a three-dimensional structure are formed in the sound absorption material so that the sound absorption effect is improved. The sound absorption material is prepared by the preparation method, has connected channels with a three-dimensional structure therein, and has a good sound absorption effect. The filling method comprises first pre-forming the sound absorption material and then filling same into a space to be filled, so that the sound absorption material fully fills the space to be filled.

A dry construction composition that is easily wet-sprayed by a screw pump to form an insulating and mechanically resistant material after hardening comprises: at least one binder that includes at least one primary binder comprising lime and/or at least one source of alumina and/or at least one source of calcium sulfate, at least one water retention agent, and preferably at least one surfactant; and at least one plant-based bio-based filler based on sunflower stalk and/or corn stalk and/or rape stalk, having a Bulk Density (BD) in kg/m.sup.3 that is less than 110. The ratio of the binder to the filler is between 2 and 9 in liters/kg. The composition can be mixed with water in a ratio of water/binder that is greater than or equal to 0.8 to form a wet composition. The wet composition can be sprayed onto a horizontal or vertical substrate or molded to a desired shape.

A method for forming cement-based cementitious material includes: pouring a cement paste into a mold; applying an electrical current to the cement paste to perform an electro-osmotic reaction; and transferring the reacted cement paste into a water tank for curing, thereby obtaining a functionally graded cement-based cementitious material. A pair of electrodes is placed in the mold and connected to an external power source. The compressive strength of the functionally graded cement-based cementitious material in the middle is lower than that at either of both ends.

A sol is provided for the production of inorganic fibres comprising precursors for aluminium oxide, silicon oxide, strontium oxide, wherein the precursors are present in proportions suitable to yield inorganic fibres having a composition comprising: 70Al.sub.2O.sub.380 wt %; 10SiO.sub.220 wt %; 10SrO20 wt % wherein the sum of Al.sub.2O.sub.3, SiO.sub.2 and SrO is at least 95 wt %.