Disclosed herein are compositions and methods for increasing the viscosity of a calcium-containing fluid by addition of a modifying agent. The resulting enhanced viscosity fluid may be used in a variety of applications including drilling, to create an enhanced-viscosity fluid, and demolition/mining to create an expansive putty for use in underwater and overhead applications.

The present invention suggests novel inorganic binder formulations and the use of these formulations for the production of acid and heat-resistant construction products.

The present invention relates to a curable binder composition comprising: a) at least one organic binder comprising a polyisocyanate and a polyol, and b) at least 50% by weight of a filler in the form of quartz and/or slag, based on 100% by weight of binder composition.

A cold fusion concrete formulation including a mixture of water, silicon based mineral aggregates acting as a filler material; sodium or potassium metasilicate/pentahydrate acting as an activator; waste from steel production including Granulated Ground Blast Slag acting as a cementitious ingredient; high calcium or low calcium waste from coal combustion (fly ash or bottom ash) acting as a cementitious ingredient; sodium tetraborate, sodium citrate dihydrate, citric acid, or boric acid acting as set-time retarders; strengthening agents including calcium, potassium, magnesium, sodium, or aluminium hydroxides; attapulgite, kaolin, red, or other fine grained, high alumino silicate containing clay, for increasing the silicon and alumino-silicate concentration and associated strength; a protein or synthetic protein material to form a weak covalent bond with the hydroxides and silicates, for the purpose of maintaining a consistent volume during the curing process; and a pollinated fern oil to reduce water content of the mixture and decrease viscosity.

A lightweight structural concrete formulation comprises a wet mix of about 460 kg/m.sup.3 of cementitious material such as ordinary Portland cement of which about 50 percent has been replaced by ground granulated basic furnace slag (GGBFS) and 7 percent by silica fume (SF) in other words the mix introduces between about 178 and 228 kg/m.sup.3 therefore the combination is good to produce secondary reaction products when the cement hydrates which produces secondary calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) which makes the structure dense and thereby increases its mechanical durability characteristics of the concrete product. Possible ratios of GGBFS and SF are 30-70 percent and 5-10 percent, respectively. By making the structures dense increases the mechanical and durability characteristics of the concrete product. Other ratios have been made including GGBFS of 30-70 percent and silica fume 5-10 percent, respectively. It can be noted that the silica fume was added to the mixture as a supplementary cementitious material (SCM) not as an aggregate. It should also be noted that the particle sizes of GGBFS ranges between about 20-40 mm and that of silica fume is less than 20 mm.

A cold fusion concrete formulation including a mixture of water, silicon based mineral aggregates acting as a filler material; sodium or potassium metasilicate/pentahydrate acting as an activator; waste from steel production including Granulated Ground Blast Slag acting as a cementitious ingredient; high calcium or low calcium waste from coal combustion (fly ash or bottom ash) acting as a cementitious ingredient; sodium tetraborate, sodium citrate dihydrate, citric acid, or boric acid acting as set-time retarders; strengthening agents including including calcium, potassium, magnesium, sodium, or aluminium hydroxides; attapulgite, kaolin, red, or other fine grained, high alumino silicate containing clay, for increasing the silicon and alumino-silicate concentration and associated strength; a protein or synthetic protein material to form a weak covalent bond with the hydroxides and silicates, for the purpose of maintaining a consistent volume during the curing process; and a pollinated fern oil to reduce water content of the mixture and decrease viscosity.

Chemical-resistant polymer concrete and methods of use thereof are described herein. The polymer concrete comprises a polymer layer and aggregates. The polymer layer is formed by reacting an epoxy vinyl ester resin promoted with cobalt and catalyzed by a peroxide. A concrete substrate is formed by layering the polymer layer and aggregates in thin alternating layers until a desired thickness is achieved. This layering method can reduce shrinkage of the concrete, thereby preventing cracking, deformation or debonding.

A geosynthetic clay liner for containing low pH, acidic fluids including a dry blended mix 90%-99% by weight bentonite and 1%-10% by weight high molecular weight cellulose ether polymer, and a method and containment including the liner to protect an environment around a site having low pH, acidic fluids.

A cement composition includes a curable component in an amount of 10 to 25 wt. %; a fine aggregate (FA) in an amount of 20 to 40 wt. %; a coarse aggregate (CA) in an amount of 40 to 50 wt. %; and an alkaline component in an amount of 5 to 15 wt. %, each wt. % based on the total weight of the cement composition. The curable component includes a cementitious material having an average particle size (D.sub.50) of 10 to 17 micrometers (m), a limestone powder (LSP) material having a D.sub.50 of 13 to 19 m, a red mud (RM) material having a D.sub.50 of 30 to 36 m, a silicomanganese fume (SMF) material having a D.sub.50 of 28 to 34 m, and a natural pozzolan (NP) material having a D.sub.50 of 13 to 19 m.

A system and method for applying a construction material is provided. The method may include mixing blast furnace slag material, geopolymer material, alkali-based powder, and sand at a batching and mixing device to generate a non-Portland cement-based material. The method may also include transporting the non-Portland cement-based material from the mixing device, through a conduit to a nozzle and combining the transported non-Portland cement-based material with liquid at the nozzle to generate a partially liquefied non-Portland cement-based material. The method may further include pneumatically applying the partially liquefied non-Portland cement-based material to a surface.