A foamed body that is a porous foamed body including inorganic fibers other than asbestos, and having a compressive stress when compressed at normal temperature at a compression ratio of 80% of 0.1 MPa or less and a recovery ratio when compressed at normal temperature at a compression ratio of 80% of 50% or more.

A foamed body that is a porous foamed body including inorganic fibers other than asbestos, and having a compressive stress when compressed at normal temperature at a compression ratio of 80% of 0.1 MPa or less and a recovery ratio when compressed at normal temperature at a compression ratio of 80% of 50% or more.

In a process for manufacturing a catalytic converter component, a ceramic unit is used that has been prepared by extruding green ceramic product through a die to form an extrusion having a honeycomb substrate structure in which tubular passages extend along the extrusion, the passages bounded by walls dividing adjacent passages from one another. The unit is obtained by cutting off a length of the extrusion and curing and firing it. The process further comprises, following the firing, injecting a mixture of a mastic component and a particulate metal component from an end of the ceramic unit into selected ones of the cells so as to block the selected cells over at least a part of the lengths thereof while maintaining all of the walls of the ceramic unit, and curing the injected material to render the injected material solid.

In a process for manufacturing a catalytic converter component, a ceramic unit is used that has been prepared by extruding green ceramic product through a die to form an extrusion having a honeycomb substrate structure in which tubular passages extend along the extrusion, the passages bounded by walls dividing adjacent passages from one another. The unit is obtained by cutting off a length of the extrusion and curing and firing it. The process further comprises, following the firing, injecting a mixture of a mastic component and a particulate metal component from an end of the ceramic unit into selected ones of the cells so as to block the selected cells over at least a part of the lengths thereof while maintaining all of the walls of the ceramic unit, and curing the injected material to render the injected material solid.

The invention provides novel aerated composite materials that possess excellent physical and performance characteristics of aerated concretes, and methods of production and uses thereof. These composite materials can be readily produced from widely available, low cost raw materials by a process suitable for large-scale production with improved energy consumption, desirable carbon footprint and minimal environmental impact.

The invention provides novel aerated composite materials that possess excellent physical and performance characteristics of aerated concretes, and methods of production and uses thereof. These composite materials can be readily produced from widely available, low cost raw materials by a process suitable for large-scale production with improved energy consumption, desirable carbon footprint and minimal environmental impact.

Systems for accelerated carbonation curing of a pre-cast cementitious structure may include an ejector and a curing chamber downstream of the ejector. The ejector may be operable to combine a lesser-pressure carbon dioxide containing stream from a carbon dioxide source with a greater-pressure steam to produce a mixed stream including at least steam and carbon dioxide. The mixed stream may have a pressure greater than the pressure of the lesser-pressure carbon dioxide containing stream. The curing chamber may be operable to receive the mixed stream from the ejector and contact the mixed stream with the pre-cast cementitious structure to cure the pre-cast cementitious structure. Processes for accelerated carbonation curing of pre-cast cementitious structures using the systems are also disclosed.

Systems for accelerated carbonation curing of a pre-cast cementitious structure may include an ejector and a curing chamber downstream of the ejector. The ejector may be operable to combine a lesser-pressure carbon dioxide containing stream from a carbon dioxide source with a greater-pressure steam to produce a mixed stream including at least steam and carbon dioxide. The mixed stream may have a pressure greater than the pressure of the lesser-pressure carbon dioxide containing stream. The curing chamber may be operable to receive the mixed stream from the ejector and contact the mixed stream with the pre-cast cementitious structure to cure the pre-cast cementitious structure. Processes for accelerated carbonation curing of pre-cast cementitious structures using the systems are also disclosed.

A cement composition is disclosed containing: cement; cellulose nanofibers; and water, wherein a mass ratio of the water to cement is 0.4 or less. The cement is preferably Portland cement. It is preferred that the Portland cement is high-early-strength Portland cement, and that a mass ratio of fine aggregate to the high-early-strength Portland cement is 2.0 or less. A unit amount of cellulose nanofibers in the cement composition can be 0.1 kg/m.sup.3 to 15 kg/m.sup.3 Furthermore, a hardened body of the cement composition is disclosed, wherein a ratio of a splitting tensile strength of the hardened body at a material age of 91 days obtained by curing in air, to the splitting tensile strength of the hardened body at the material age if 91 days obtained by curing in water is 0.90 or more and 1.10 or less, the splitting tensile strength being measured in accordance with JIS-A-1113 (2006).

A cement composition is disclosed containing: cement; cellulose nanofibers; and water, wherein a mass ratio of the water to cement is 0.4 or less. The cement is preferably Portland cement. It is preferred that the Portland cement is high-early-strength Portland cement, and that a mass ratio of fine aggregate to the high-early-strength Portland cement is 2.0 or less. A unit amount of cellulose nanofibers in the cement composition can be 0.1 kg/m.sup.3 to 15 kg/m.sup.3 Furthermore, a hardened body of the cement composition is disclosed, wherein a ratio of a splitting tensile strength of the hardened body at a material age of 91 days obtained by curing in air, to the splitting tensile strength of the hardened body at the material age if 91 days obtained by curing in water is 0.90 or more and 1.10 or less, the splitting tensile strength being measured in accordance with JIS-A-1113 (2006).