A method of forming a lightweight concrete comprising lightweight aggregates (LWA) made from recycled materials and the resulting composition. The lightweight concrete may be formed by adding calcium sulfoaluminate (CSA) cement and a specialized grout to an amount of water in a mixer, wherein a ratio of the water to the CSA cement is 1 quart to every 10 lbs of CSA cement. The CSA cement, specialized grout, and water may be blended to a smooth consistency. LWA may be added to the blended CSA cement, specialized grout, and water, wherein a ratio of the CSA cement to LWA is 60/40 by weight. The mixture of LWA, CSA cement, specialized grout, and water may be poured over a fiberglass rebar. The mixture may be allowed to cure and before being densified with a lithium densifier.

Provided herein is a system, apparatus, and method for producing refractory products, and more particularly, to producing heated refractories, passive refractories, transition plates, moldable refractories, and accessories such as heated spouts, heated pins, thimbles, and dams. A heated refractory channel as disclosed herein may include a working surface to contain molten metal within the channel; a core adjacent to the working surface; one or more heating elements disposed within the core; and insulation, where the core is disposed between the working surface and the insulation. The one or more heating elements may be molded into the core. The heating elements may be electrical resistance heating elements.

A self-bonding refractory powder product for use in making a slurry for investment casting molds comprising a coarse refractory powder; a Nano-sized powder; and an organic polymer powder, wherein it does not require aqueous colloidal silica to produce slurries used to build investment casting molds. The Nano-sized powder comprises fumed alumina, boehmite, fumed silica, or fumed titanium oxide or combinations thereof. The coarse refractory powder comprises milled zircon, tabular alumina or fused alumina, fused silica, alumino-silicate, zirconia, and yttria or combinations thereof. The organic polymer powder comprises a cellulose-based material.

A calcium sulphate-based product including gypsum and a shrinkage resistance additive. The shrinkage resistance additive is a metal nitrate, hydroxide, acetate or sulphate and is preferably provided in an amount greater than 4 wt % (based on the amount of additive and gypsum). The additive may be a nitrate of an alkali metal (e.g. potassium), an alkaline earth metal (e.g. magnesium or calcium), a transition metal (e.g. iron or zinc) or aluminium.

The present invention provides a composition for forming a casting mold or a mold liner, comprising solid particles of CaO, SiO, MgO, Al.sub.2O.sub.3 having an average particle size of 20 to 60 μm.

A sand additive for use in a “no bake” foundry mix composition having a polyurethane-based binder system reduces the amount of smoke emitted when molds and cores formed from the composition are exposed to molten metal, as compared to when the sand additive is not used. The sand additive comprises yellow iron oxide having the chemical formula Fe(OH).sub.3. It can also comprise at least one of red iron oxide, black iron oxide and wüstite. In such cases, the yellow iron oxide accounts for about 10 to about 40 weight percent of the combined weight of the yellow iron oxide, red iron oxide, black iron oxide and wüstite, and preferably, about 20 to about 30 weight percent of the combined weight of the yellow iron oxide, red iron oxide, black iron oxide and wüstite.

Provided are a binder in the producing of a casting sand mold according to an ink jet type lamination shaping method in which a binder is printed with respect to sand, a method for producing the binder, and a method for producing a casting sand mold using the binder. Specifically, provided are a binder useful for a casting sand mold of an ink jet type, containing: a resol-type phenolic resin that is obtained by reacting aldehydes (A1), phenols (P1), and a compound (N) having two or more phenolic hydroxyl groups in one molecule or by reacting the aldehydes (A1) and a novolac-type phenolic resin (N1), in the presence of an alkali catalyst, and has a dispersion degree (Mw/Mn) of 1.0 to 3.5 and a phenolic monomer residue of 5% or less, a method for producing the binder, and a method for producing a casting sand mold.

A manufacturing method for a mold adhesive according to an aspect of the disclosure includes a step of preparing aqueous solution containing water glass, a step of heating the aqueous solution to 90 C. or higher but not exceeding 100 C., and a step of extracting gelled water glass as the mold adhesive, the gelled water glass being separated on a liquid surface of the heated aqueous solution. A solid component of the prepared aqueous solution falls within a range of 25 mass % or higher but not exceeding 35 mass %.

The present invention relates to methods for forming bonded particulate refractory materials for use in metal-working, comprising the steps of providing a fine particulate metal oxide, providing an aqueous alkaline composition, providing a particulate refractory mould material, mixing the said fine particulate metal oxide, the said aqueous alkaline composition and the said particulate refractory mould material, and shooting the obtained mixture in a core shooter. Substantially all the water included in the obtained mixture is derived from the aqueous alkaline solution and optionally the surfactant. Also part of the present invention are materials and articles obtained according to the method, as well as particulate compositions for use in the method.

A structure for manufacturing castings, containing an inorganic fiber, a layered clay mineral, and an inorganic particle other than the layered clay mineral and having an organic content of 5 mass % or lower or having a mass loss of 5 mass % or lower when heated at 1000 C. for 30 minutes. The inorganic particle preferably contains one or more selected from obsidian, graphite, and mullite. The inorganic fiber preferably contains carbon fiber. The inorganic fiber preferably has an average length of 0.5 to 15 mm. The layered clay mineral preferably contains one or more selected from bentonite and montmorillonite.