A mortar composition, in particular for preparing a viscoelastic body or structure, or for acoustic damping of at least one of a ship, an offshore installation and a building, includes: 1-20 wt % of a hydraulic binder, 30-80 wt % of aggregates, 5-75 wt % of a polymer, and 0.5-40 wt % of a porous filler.

An acoustical geopolymer panel element includes a layer including a fibre component and a geopolymer binder made from a mixture including ground mineral wool, and an additional layer including mineral wool. The layer including a fibre component and a geopolymer binder has a density in the range of 20-400 kg/m.sup.3, a porosity in the range of 0.75-0.99 and a thickness in the range of 5-75 mm. The ground mineral wool may be ground glass or stone wool and the fibre component may be a wood fibre component, a polymer fibre component and/or a mineral wool component. Further, a geopolymer mixture is provided upon recycling mineral wool which is ground to powder and mixed with an alkali activator component. Additionally, a method for producing acoustical geopolymer panel elements includes grinding elements including mineral wool for provision of a powder component.

An acoustical ceiling panel including a first layer having a first major surface opposite a second major surface and a side surface extending therebetween, a second layer having a first major surface opposite a second major surface and a side surface extending therebetween, and a sealing layer having a first major surface opposite a second major surface and a side surface extending therebetween. The sealing layer may be positioned between the first major surface of the first layer and the second major surface of the second layer. The side surface of the sealing layer may extend beyond the side surface of the first layer and the side surface of the second layer.

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 polymer-modified cementitious composition comprising a specific aqueous polymer dispersion and a cementitious material, and such polymer-modified cementitious composition having low ammonia release and providing coating membranes made therefrom with balanced tensile strength and elongation at break.

Ceiling tiles and wallboards can be produced with vesicle dedusting agent. For example, a ceiling tile can comprise: a dried base mat that includes: (a) mineral wool; (b) binder; (c) a vesicle dedusting agent at about 0.01 to about 10 wt %, wherein the vesicle dedusting agent comprises vesicles; (d) optionally cellulosic fiber; (e) optionally perlite; (f) optionally glass fiber; and (g) optionally calcium sulfate dihydrate. For example, a wallboard produced from a slurry comprising: (a) calcium sulfate hemihydrate at 70 to 95 wt %; (b) a vesicle dedusting agent at about 0.01 to about 10 wt %, wherein the vesicle dedusting agent comprises vesicles; (c) optionally cellulose fibers at about 0.5 to about 3 wt %; (d) optionally at least one dispersant at about 0.01 to about 2 wt %; and (e) water at a ratio of water to dry components of about 1:6 to about 20:1.

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.

Heat-curable bio-based casting composition, including: (a) one or more monofunctional and one or more polyfunctional acrylic and/or methacrylic biomonomers of vegetable or animal origin, (b) one or more polymers or copolymers selected from among polyacrylates, polymethacrylates, polyols, polyesters derived from recycled material or of vegetable or animal origin, (c) inorganic filler particles of natural origin, where the proportion of the monofunctional and polyfunctional acrylic and methacrylic biomonomer(s) is 10-40% by weight, the proportion of the polymer(s) or copolymer(s) is 1-16% by weight and the proportion of the inorganic filler particles is 44-89% by weight.

A composition for addition to a ceiling tile, flooring product, or other construction product may include microfibrillated cellulose and optionally an inorganic particulate material. The ceiling tile, flooring product, or other construction product may further include perlite, mineral wool, wood pulp, starch and other additives, where the wood pulp and other inorganic particulate materials are bonded to the microfibrillated cellulose. Methods of manufacturing the compound are also disclosed.

A composition for addition to a ceiling tile, flooring product, or other construction product may include microfibrillated cellulose and optionally an inorganic particulate material. The ceiling tile, flooring product, or other construction product may further include perlite, mineral wool, wood pulp, starch and other additives, where the wood pulp and other inorganic particulate materials are bonded to the microfibrillated cellulose. Methods of manufacturing the compound are also disclosed.