A geopolymer cement and a method of producing the same are provided. A geopolymer cement binder may be provided including a geopolymer precursor and magnesium oxide as an alkali activator. The geopolymer cement binder may be mixed with water using high shear mixing.

Material system suitable for a 3D printing method or 3D printing method material system comprising or consisting of a particulate material, a printing liquid, and an ester activator as well as 3D printing processes that use such a material system and molding parts produced by means of such material systems and 3D printing processes.

In one aspect, the disclosure relates to calcium-free aluminum-based cement formulations designed for applications under supercritical conditions and in corrosive environments. In an aspect, alkali activation of aluminum hydroxide at high temperatures leads to the formation of mineral phases stable under supercritical and superhot conditions. In another aspect, these include, but are not limited to, crystalline phases of boehmite and paragonite and, optionally, a minor vlasovite phase. In yet another aspect, the compositions and articles made therefrom, such as geothermal well sheaths, are stable under the extreme conditions, and water-fillable porosity and mechanical properties of these cement formulations persist through super-critical exposure.

A honeycomb structure including: a honeycomb structure body having porous partition walls which define a plurality of cells extending from an inflow end face to an outflow end face to form through channels for a fluid, and a first circumferential wall which is disposed in at least a part of a circumference of the partition walls, and a second circumferential wall disposed to surround an outer side of the honeycomb structure body, wherein the honeycomb structure body does not have an interface between the partition walls and the first circumferential wall, and in a face perpendicular to an extending direction of the cells, a maximum thickness of the first circumferential wall is from 0.1 to 0.3 mm.

A first circumferential wall disposed in a circumference of partition walls has no interface with the outermost circumference partition wall in a circumferential portion constituted by the partition walls whose wall thickness is larger than that of a central portion constituted by the partition walls in a central region. A maximum thickness of a total of the first circumferential wall and a second circumferential wall disposed to surround an outer side of the first circumferential wall is 1.2-3.0 mm, a difference between the maximum thickness and a minimum thickness of the total is 0.2-1.5 mm, and there is satisfied a relation, 0.5(TBTA)SB/SA100(%)9.0 in which TB and TA indicate average thicknesses (m) of the partition walls in the circumferential and central portion respectively, and SB and SA indicate areas (cm.sup.2) of the circumferential portion and the honeycomb structure in the cross section respectively.

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.

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 porous material includes aggregates, and a bonding material bonding between the aggregates and including cordierite as a main component, and surfaces of three-phase interfaces in which the aggregates, the bonding material and pores intersect are smoothly bonded. Furthermore, in the porous material, the bonding material may include at least one additive component selected from the group consisting of strontium, yttrium, and zirconium, and a bending strength of the porous material is 5.5 MPa or more, or a honeycomb bending strength of a honeycomb structure using the porous material may be 4.0 MPa or more.

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 method, including: laser heating heat-source material (18) disposed in ceramic material (16); and sintering the ceramic material using heat energy generated in the heat-source material by the laser heating to form sintered ceramic (32) having inconsistencies (40) caused by the heat-source material.