The present invention discloses novel methods for producing highly porous ceramic and/or metal aerogel monolithic objects that are hard, sturdy, and resistant to high temperatures. These methods comprise preparing nanoparticulate oxides of metals and/or metalloids via a step of vigorous stirring to prevent gelation, preparing polymer-modified xerogel powder compositions by reacting said nanoparticulate oxides with one or more polyfunctional monomers, compressing said polymer-modified xerogel powder compositions into shaped compacts, and carbothermal conversion of the shaped xerogel compacts via pyrolysis to provide the highly porous ceramic and/or metal aerogel monolithic objects that have the same shapes as to their corresponding xerogel compact precursors. Representative of the highly porous ceramic and/or metal aerogel monolithic objects of the invention are ceramic and/or metal aerogels of Si, Zr, Hf, Ti, Cr, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Ru, Au, and the like. Examples include sturdy, shaped, highly porous silicon carbide (SiC), silicon nitride (Si.sub.3N.sub.4), zirconium carbide (ZrC), hafnium carbide (HfC), chromium carbide (Cr.sub.3C.sub.2), titanium carbide (TiC), zirconium boride (ZrB.sub.2), hafnium boride (HfB.sub.2), and metallic aerogels of iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), ruthenium (Ru), gold (Au), and the like. Said aerogel monolithic objects have utility in various applications such as, illustratively, in abrasives, in cutting tools, as catalyst support materials such as in reformers and converters, as filters such as for molten metals and hot gasses, in bio-medical tissue engineering such as bone replacement materials, in applications requiring strong lightweight materials such as in automotive and aircraft structural components, in ultra-high temperature ceramics, and the like.

Composition in the form of green or thermally treated briquettes comprising at least one quick calcium-magnesium compound comprising an iron-based compound and method of production thereof as well uses thereof.

A ceramic foam filter and a manufacturing method thereof. The ceramic foam filter comprises the following materials provided in respective weight percentages: 20-50% of a silicon carbide, 20-55% of a zirconium oxide, and 10-36% of a silicon oxide, wherein all figures are based on the total weight of the ceramic foam filter. The method for manufacturing the ceramic foam filter comprises the following steps: (a) providing a slurry comprising a silicon carbide, a zirconium oxide or zirconium oxide precursor, a silicon oxide or silicon oxide precursor, a binder, an optional additive, and a fluid carrier medium; (b) applying the slurry to perform surface ornamentation of a perforated organic foam; (c) drying the perforated organic foam surface ornamented with the slurry to obtain a green body; and (d) sintering the green body in oxygen-containing air to obtain the ceramic foam filter.

Composition based on quick calcium-magnesium compounds in the form of briquettes, characterised in that said composition comprises quicklime in the form of milled particles at a concentration of at least 10% by weight and at most 100% by weight relative to the weight of said composition, said composition in the form of briquettes having a Shatter test index of less than 10% and the method for preparation and use thereof.

Methods for forming ceramic cores are disclosed. A ceramic core formed using the method of the present application includes a silica depletion zone encapsulating an inner zone. The inner zone includes mullite and the silica depletion zone includes alumina. The method includes heat-treating a ceramic body in a non-oxidizing atmospheric condition for an effective temperature and time combination at a pressure less than 10.sup.2 atmosphere to form the silica depletion zone at a surface of the ceramic core.

Compositions useful for foundry processes such as green sand casting are discussed. The compositions may comprise an aggregate, at least one inorganic binding agent, and at least one high aspect ratio silicate. For example, the composition may comprise sand, one or more clay materials serving as a binding agent, and a high aspect ratio silicate chosen from mica, talc, or a combination thereof. The composition may be formed into a green sand mold for use in casting molded articles. Incorporation of the high aspect ratio silicate may help to improve the quality of the casted article.

Composition in the form of green or thermally treated briquettes comprising at least one quick calcium-magnesium compound comprising an iron-based compound and method of production thereof as well uses thereof.

Thermoset ceramic compositions and a method of preparation of such compositions. The compositions are advanced organic/inorganic hybrid composite polymer ceramic alloys. The material combines strength, hardness and high temperature performance of technical ceramics with the strength, ductility, thermal shock resistance, density, and easy processing of the polymer. Consisting of a branched backbone of silicon, alumina, and carbon, the material undergoes sintering at 7 to 300 centigrade for 2 to 94 hours from water at a pH between 0 to 14, humidity of 0 to 100%, with or without vaporous solvents.

In the field of refining metal melts or slags there is disclosed in particular a reactive material based on calcium aluminate and carbon, its process of preparation and various methods for refining metal melts using the same.

A lightweight micro-closed-pore corundum composite refractory and a method preparing the same, wherein raw materials of the refractory comprise 95-99 parts by weight of -Al.sub.2O.sub.3 micro-powder and 1-5 parts by weight of dolomite clinker; and additives of the refractory comprise 2-15 parts by weight of nano alumina sol, 5-15 parts by weight of a carbohydrate polymer, and 30-50 parts by weight of an organic alcohol. and the lightweight micro-closed-pore corundum composite refractory is prepared by: mixing and wet grinding the raw materials and the additives to obtain a slurry; placing the slurry in a mold, keeping the mold at 15-25 C. for 6-12 hours and then keeping the mold at 60-90 C. for 6-12 hours, then demolding; drying a demolded green body at 110-200 C. for 24-36 hours, and keeping the green body at 1800-2000 C. for 2-5 hours. A method preparing a lightweight micro-closed-pore corundum composite refractory is also provided. The lightweight micro-closed-pore corundum composite refractory of the present invention has characteristics of low bulk density, small average pore size, high closed porosity, low thermal conductivity, strong thermal shock resistance, abrasion resistance and slag resistance.