Disclosed is a foamed cementitious composition which limits or eliminates aggregate, especially porous lightweight aggregate and uses a lower than usual water to cementitious composition weight ratio. The stable cementitious foam mixtures may be employed to make cement boards and other cement products. The foamed cementitious composition was made with additions of PVOH foaming stabilizer and surfactant foaming agents to make foam water or by entrain air into cementitious slurry mixtures. The cementitious mixtures have a limited amount or preferably no perlite and no lightweight aggregate. The resulting foamed mixture had foam bubbles with size in the range of 50 to 200 m. After setting the foamed cementitious composition the resulting set board has air cells with size in the range of 50 to 200 m.

A foaming agent composition for hydraulic compositions incudes component (A1): one or more selected from the group consisting of an alkyl sulfate having an alkyl group with 8 or more and 10 or less carbons, a salt thereof, an alkenyl sulfate having an alkenyl group with 8 or more and 10 or less carbons, and a salt thereof; component (B): a monohydric alcohol with 6 or more and 10 or less carbons; and optionally, component (A2): one or more surfactants other than the component (A1). A mass ratio of a content of the component (A1) to a total content of the components (A1) and (A2), (A1)/[(A1)+(A2)], is 0.8 or more and 1 or less.

A surfactant composition is disclosed comprising a first alkyl sulfate surfactant, optionally a second alkyl sulfate surfactant, and optionally an alkyl ether sulfate. The first and second alkyl sulfate surfactants have Formula (1):
R.sup.1OSO.sub.3.sup.+M.sup.1(1)
and the alkyl ether sulfate has Formula (2):
R.sup.2(OCH.sub.2CH.sub.2).sub.yOSO.sub.3.sup.+M.sup.2(2)
in which R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are independently selected linear or branched alkyl or a combination thereof having from 6 to 14 carbon atoms, y has an average value from 0.1 to 5, and M.sup.1 and M.sup.2 are cations independently selected from sodium, calcium, ammonium, or a combination of two or all of these. Use of the composition as a foaming agent for gypsum slurries, and of the gypsum slurries for formation of gypsum boards, are disclosed.

The present disclosure relates to non-flexible composite insulation materials comprising a metal oxide matrix reinforced with a fibrous material embedded therein. Specifically, the present disclosure relates to use of the non-flexible composite insulation materials for thermal batteries and the like. The non-flexible composite insulation materials with low thermal conductivity provided herein is capable of meeting the mechanical requirements for thermal battery design yet provides improved handleability compared to the commercially available insulators.

Disclosed is a foam modifier, e.g., useful for gypsum or cement slurries. The foam modifier comprises a fatty alcohol that is added to a gypsum or cement slurry that includes foaming agent, such as an alkyl sulfate surfactant. The fatty alcohol can be a C.sub.6-C.sub.16 fatty alcohol in some embodiments. The use of such a foam modifier can be used, for example, to stabilize the foam, reduce waste of foaming agent, improve void size control in the final product, and improve the gypsum board manufacturing process.

Disclosed is a foam modifier, e.g., useful for gypsum or cement slurries. The foam modifier comprises a fatty alcohol that is added to a gypsum or cement slurry that includes foaming agent, such as an alkyl sulfate surfactant. The fatty alcohol can be a C.sub.6-C.sub.16 fatty alcohol in some embodiments. The use of such a foam modifier can be used, for example, to stabilize the foam, reduce waste of foaming agent, improve void size control in the final product, and improve the gypsum board manufacturing process.

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.

A self-setting porous cement foam includes a protein foam as the structuring agent and has pores when set and a water absorption coefficient of between 0.5 and 7 kg/(m.sup.2.Math.h0.5). A foam gun for producing a structure-imparting foaming component of a cement foam has a tubular design, an inlet orifice for a liquid and an inlet orifice for a gas or gas mixture. At least one first mesh is disposed downstream of the inlet orifices for the liquid and the gas or gas mixture and at least one second mesh is disposed in front of an outlet orifice from the foam gun. Disposed in the space between the at least one first mesh and the at least one second mesh is at least one foaming element having baffle structures specifically designed to create a turbulent flow between the at least one first mesh and the at least one second mesh.

A self-setting porous cement foam includes a protein foam as the structuring agent and has pores when set and a water absorption coefficient of between 0.5 and 7 kg/(m.sup.2.Math.h0.5). A foam gun for producing a structure-imparting foaming component of a cement foam has a tubular design, an inlet orifice for a liquid and an inlet orifice for a gas or gas mixture. At least one first mesh is disposed downstream of the inlet orifices for the liquid and the gas or gas mixture and at least one second mesh is disposed in front of an outlet orifice from the foam gun. Disposed in the space between the at least one first mesh and the at least one second mesh is at least one foaming element having baffle structures specifically designed to create a turbulent flow between the at least one first mesh and the at least one second mesh.

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.