Disclosed herein is a method for applying metals to clay. More particularly, the present invention relates to applying malleable metals, such as silver, to clay, such that the metal attaches to the clay and as an added feature forms beads on the surface of the clay.

Disclosed herein is a method for applying metals to clay. More particularly, the present invention relates to applying malleable metals, such as silver, to clay, such that the metal attaches to the clay and as an added feature forms beads on the surface of the clay.

A method for producing an electrically-conductive pellet includes reducing a size of a first material. The method also includes wetting the first material to produce a first slurry. The method also includes introducing the first slurry into a fluidizer to produce a first pellet. The method also includes reducing a size of a second material. The second material is an electrically-conductive material. The method also includes wetting the second material to produce a second slurry. The method also includes applying the second slurry to the first pellet.

A porous sintered clay mineral matrix that contains aluminum and is doped with 0.1-20 mol %, based on the amount of the aluminum, one or more transition metals, one or more post-transition metals, one or more rare earth metals, or a combination thereof. An example is a kaolinite matrix. The matrix can be made from a calcined clay mineral powder that contains aluminum and is doped with at least one of these metals. Also disclosed are methods of preparing the above-described matrix and powder.

A porous sintered clay mineral matrix that contains aluminum and is doped with 0.1-20 mol %, based on the amount of the aluminum, one or more transition metals, one or more post-transition metals, one or more rare earth metals, or a combination thereof. An example is a kaolinite matrix. The matrix can be made from a calcined clay mineral powder that contains aluminum and is doped with at least one of these metals. Also disclosed are methods of preparing the above-described matrix and powder.

A porous sintered clay mineral matrix that contains aluminum and is doped with 0.1-20 mol %, based on the amount of the aluminum, one or more transition metals, one or more post-transition metals, one or more rare earth metals, or a combination thereof. An example is a kaolinite matrix. The matrix can be made from a calcined clay mineral powder that contains aluminum and is doped with at least one of these metals. Also disclosed are methods of preparing the above-described matrix and powder.

The main weaknesses of masonry buildings, especially those made of clay, against earthquakes are: high weight, which increases the earthquake force that is proportional to the weight; low resistance that causes an early crushing of walls and ceilings; lack of ductility, which causes the masonry buildings to collapse immediately after cracking. These weaknesses have been the main causes of collapse of masonry buildings in past earthquakes in various parts of the world. Also, many of the restoration works, done on the historical monuments that were made by the mentioned materials, showed their inadequacy in some recent earthquakes This invention improves clay, as an eco-friendly, low-cost material with high workability, to present a better seismic behavior, by decreasing its specific weight to less than tones/m.sup.3 and increasing its tensile resistance up to five times of the ordinary clay, and giving better insulation capabilities against heat, sound and moisture to it.

Disclosed herein are methods of forming a hydrous kaolin clay product. The method can include (i) refining coarse crude kaolin clay to form a refined, coarse kaolin clay, and/or refining a tertiary, fine crude kaolin clay to form a refined, fine, hydrous kaolin clay, (ii) centrifuging the refined, coarse kaolin clay; the refined, fine, hydrous kaolin clay, or a blend thereof to provide a hydrous kaolin stream, and (iii) refining the hydrous kaolin stream to form the hydrous kaolin clay product. The hydrous kaolin stream can be blended with a delaminated, coarse kaolin clay, prior to refining the hydrous kaolin stream. The hydrous kaolin clay product can have a total alkali content of 0.2% or less by weight of the hydrous kaolin clay product. Compositions including cordierite ceramics, industrial coatings, paints, adhesives, inks, and fillers comprising the hydrous kaolin clay product are also described herein.

The present invention relates to a super-smooth glaze and a preparation method thereof, and belongs to the field of ceramic machining, wherein each component in parts by weight is: potassium feldspar, quartz, kaolin, calcite, dolomite, boric acid, aluminum oxide, silicon oxide, calcium oxide, potassium oxide, sodium oxide, zinc oxide, and barium oxide; a mixture weighed in proportion is disposed in a planetary quick ball mill, and pure water of 30˜40 wt % to the total weight of the mixture is added to ball-mill the mixture to particle sizes of 0.5˜1.0 μm, thus obtaining the super-smooth glaze. The method enables the surface of a glaze layer to be highly smooth and makes the roughness of the glaze be relatively reduced than that of an ordinary ceramic glaze.

The present invention relates to a super-smooth glaze and a preparation method thereof, and belongs to the field of ceramic machining, wherein each component in parts by weight is: potassium feldspar, quartz, kaolin, calcite, dolomite, boric acid, aluminum oxide, silicon oxide, calcium oxide, potassium oxide, sodium oxide, zinc oxide, and barium oxide; a mixture weighed in proportion is disposed in a planetary quick ball mill, and pure water of 30˜40 wt % to the total weight of the mixture is added to ball-mill the mixture to particle sizes of 0.5˜1.0 μm, thus obtaining the super-smooth glaze. The method enables the surface of a glaze layer to be highly smooth and makes the roughness of the glaze be relatively reduced than that of an ordinary ceramic glaze.