The present invention concerns an additive for construction chemical compositions, in particular mortar and cement compositions. The additive comprises at least one amide or ester of a sugar acid and at least one water-soluble comb polymer which contains, on the main chain, acid functions and side chains having ether functions. The additive is useful for retarding the hardening of a construction chemical composition.

Disclosed are hydrophobic finish compositions and cementitious articles made with the hydrophobic finish compositions. In some embodiments, the article is a waterproof gypsum panel surface reinforced with inorganic mineral fibers that face a flexible and hydrophobic cementitious finish possessing beneficial waterproofing properties. These waterproof gypsum panels have many uses, such as, tile backer board in wet or dry areas of buildings, exterior weather barrier panel for use as exterior sheathing, interior wall and ceiling, and roof cover board having water durability and low surface absorption. The flexible and hydrophobic cementitious finish can include fly ash, film-forming polymer, preferably silane compound (e.g., alkyl alkoxysilane), an extended flow time retention agent including either one or more carboxylic acids, salts of carboxylic acids, or mixtures thereof, and other optional additives. Preferably a pre-coated non-woven glass fiber mat is employed to provide the inorganic mineral fibers for the surface reinforcement.

Laminated carbon-carbon composites can be used as an ablative material, but they are often prone to delamination under thermally induced interlaminar shear and tension. Graded carbon-carbon composites with a sacrificial or ablative layer that is integral with one or more underlying layers and not fully dense can address these issues and provide other advantages. Such graded carbon-carbon composites can include a densified base layer containing a first portion of a carbonaceous matrix, and an outer ablative layer that is integral with the densified base layer and contains a second portion of the carbonaceous matrix. The carbonaceous matrix in the densified base layer has a first porosity, and the carbonaceous matrix in the outer ablative layer has a second porosity that is higher than that of the densified base layer. Methods for forming graded carbon-carbon composites can include heating a partially densified base layer and a carbonaceous matrix precursor above a carbonization temperature.

An engineered flooring product suitable for indoor or outdoor flooring applications, and a method of manufacturing thereof are provided. The engineered flooring product comprises a core layer, the core layer comprising: (i) a hydrate compound comprising magnesium hydroxide and magnesium chloride; (ii) one or more hydrate compounds each comprising magnesium hydroxide and magnesium sulfate; and (iii) one or more stabilizing agents. The hydrate compounds are derived at least in part from magnesium oxide. The core layer has a composition that is free of PVC and other plastic-based materials and is selected to provide one or more desired physical properties such as, but not limited to, a desired degree of water resistance, durability, and thermal expansion and contraction. The core layer preferably has a composition that provides a thermal expansion coefficient equivalent to or comparable to concrete.

The disclosure relate generally to structures, forms, and monoliths, and methods of preparing the same. This disclosure can produce uniform structured passageways or channels of active material, including adsorbent or catalyst, by imprinting or molding features into a paste on a support that can be subsequently assembled into a gas or liquid treating structure, i.e. a monolith. The paste, which can include an active material, binder, and other potential additives, can be applied to the support or pushed through a support (as in a mesh) as a thin film. The paste can be imprinted, stamped, shaped or otherwise handled to give features of desired height, shape, width, and positioning. When stacked or rolled, the features of one layer contact a subsequent layer, which seal to form passageways. The resulting structure can have high cell-density (>1000 cells per square inch) and a large volume fraction of active material.

The aim of the invention is to provide a novel construction system for buildings, having the properties of being multilayer, insulating, ductile, and lightweight.

To this end, the invention relates to a multilayer insulating construction system for a building, characterized in that (a) this system comprises at least one wall associated with at least one hardened insulation layer, (b) the maximum thickness of the hardened insulation layer is between 1 and 60 cm, (c) the hardened insulation has a bulk density (BD) in kg/m.sup.3 that is less than or equal to 450; 300; 250; 200; 150; 100; and more preferably between 50 and 300; 150 and 250; (d) this hardened insulation layer is prepared by mixing, with water, a dry composition (d) comprising: -A at least one binder including: -A1- at least one hydraulic or air binder; -A2- possibly at least one water retention agent -A3- possibly at least one surfactant;
-B- at least one bio-sourced aggregate 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; preferably between 10 and 80; (e) this composition having a ratio of A/B [mass of dry binder -A- in kg]/[mass of dry filler -B- in kg] comprised between 1 and 10.

Another object of the invention is the dry composition which, after mixing with water, enables manufacturing the hardened insulation layer of this construction system. The invention also includes the method for manufacturing the construction system.

A fiber cement gypsum composite formulation comprising a binder, reinforcing fibers and a pozzolanic material wherein the binder comprises a gypsum-hydraulic cement mix, wherein gypsum is calcium sulfate dihydrate and the hydraulic cement is Portland cement.

A foreign matter removing apparatus for removing foreign matter in a powder and granular material is provided. The foreign matter removing apparatus includes: a conveyance device configured to convey the powder and granular material from a supply port to a discharge port that are for the powder and granular material; and a foreign matter sedimentation device that is provided between the supply port and the discharge port on a conveyance path of the conveyance device, and is configured to sediment the foreign matter in the powder and granular material. The foreign matter sedimentation device includes both a foreign matter discharge port provided at a lowest position in a height direction and a bottom inclined toward the foreign matter discharge port.

The aim of the invention is to provide a novel construction system for buildings, having the properties of being multilayer, insulating, ductile, and lightweight. To this end, the invention relates to a multilayer insulating construction system for a building, characterized in that (a) this system comprises at least one wall associated with at least one hardened insulation layer, (b) the maximum thickness of the hardened insulation layer is between 1 and 60 cm, (c) the hardened insulation has a bulk density (BD) in kg/m.sup.3 that is less than or equal to 450; 300; 250; 200; 150; 100; and more preferably between 50 and 300; 150 and 250; (d) this hardened insulation layer is prepared by mixing, with water, a dry composition (d) comprising: -A at least one binder including: -A1- at least one hydraulic or air binder; -A2- possibly at least one water retention agent -A3- possibly at least one surfactant;
-B- at least one bio-sourced aggregate 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; preferably between 10 and 80; (e) this composition having a ratio of A/B [mass of dry binder -A- in kg]/[mass of dry filler -B- in kg] comprised between 1 and 10. Another object of the invention is the dry composition which, after mixing with water, enables manufacturing the hardened insulation layer of this construction system. The invention also includes the method for manufacturing the construction system.

A thermally insulating cloth is provided. The thermally insulating cloth has a layered structure comprising at least three layers, a first and a second outer textile layer providing the outer surfaces of said cloth, and an intermediate layer, wherein said first and said second outer textile layer are laminated to the intermediate layer, said first outer textile layer having an air permeability of less than or equal to 40 cc/sec*5 cm.sup.2, said second outer textile layer having air permeability of less than or equal to 40 cc/sec*5 cm.sup.2, said intermediate layer comprising a textile fabric comprising aerogel powder, in an amount in a range of 1 to 70% w.