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.

Polyurethane composites and methods of preparing polyurethane composites are described herein. The polyurethane composite can comprise (a) a polyurethane formed by the reaction of (i) one or more isocyanates selected from the group consisting of diisocyanates, polyisocyanates, and mixtures thereof, and (ii) one or more polyols; (b) fly ash comprising 50% or greater by weight, fly ash particles having a particle size of from 0.2 micron to 100 microns; and (c) a coarse filler material comprising 80% or greater by weight, filler particles having a particle size of from greater than 250 microns to 10 mm. The coarse filler material can be present in the composite in an amount of from 1% to 40% by weight, based on the total weight of the composite. The weight ratio of the fly ash to the coarse filler material can be from 9:1 to 200:1.

A fire proof compound is provided including MgSO4.7H2O) (Mg4Si6O15(OH)2.6H2O) CaO (s)+H.sub.2O (1)⇄Ca(OH).sub.2 (ΔH.sub.r=−63.7 kJ/mol of CaO) (CaSO.sub.4.2H2O) H.sub.4 Mg.sub.2 Si.sub.3 O.sub.10). The compound can be added to a gypsum substrate of a wallboard to manufacture a fire proof wallboard. The compound can also be mixed with a paint to provide a fire proof paint. In certain composition, the compound can also exhibit an electromagnetic field blocking property. An existing wallboard manufacturing process line can be modified to accept the additional process of adding the compound to the gypsum substrate of the wallboard.

Gypsum based compositions, processes for making same, and articles made therefrom. In one example, the gypsum based composition can include about 1.5 wt % to about 3 wt % of a starch, about 11 wt % to about 14 wt % of a paper, about 0.7 wt % to about 2.3 wt % of vermiculite, about 1.3 wt % to about 3 wt % of a plurality of reinforcing fibers, about 7 wt % to about 10 wt % of a binding agent, about 2 wt % to about 4 wt % of perlite, and about 65 wt % to about 75 wt % of a calcium sulfate, where all weight percent values are based on a combined weight of the starch, paper, vermiculite, plurality of reinforcing fibers, binding agent, perlite, and calcium sulfate.

A refractory, coarse ceramic product including at least one granular refractory material, has an open porosity of between 22 and 45 vol.-%, in particular of between 23 and 29 vol.-%, and a grain structure of the refractory material, wherein the medium grain size fraction with grain sizes of between 0.1 and 0.5 mm is 10 to 55 wt.-%, in particular 35 to 50 wt.-%, and wherein the remainder of the grain structure is a finest grain fraction with grain sizes of up to 0.1 mm and/or coarse-grain fraction with grain sizes of more than 0.5 mm.

A thermally-insulating composite material with co-shrinkage in the form of an insulating material formed by the inclusion of microballoons in a matrix material such that the microballoons and the matrix material exhibit co-shrinkage upon processing. The thermally-insulating composite material can be formed by a variety of microballoon-matrix material combinations such as polymer microballoons in a preceramic matrix material. The matrix materials generally contain fine rigid fillers.

A fire retardant molding contains a thermoplastic compound and an inorganic flameproof agent that is mixed with the thermoplastic compound and which acts by separating from water, having a proportion in the range of 10 wt % to 90 wt %. The fire retardant molding is produced by mixing the thermoplastic material with an inorganic flame-proofing agent, the flame-proofing agent having a proportion in the range of 20 wt % to 80 wt %, and by outputting the compound obtained by mixing, in particular as a flat product. The fire retardant molding is advantageously used, for example, in or on land-based vehicles, water-based vehicles, aircraft and buildings.

The present invention relates to an inorganic binder system comprising blast furnace slag, and at least one solid alkali metal silicate, wherein the inorganic binder system is obtainable by co-grinding a mixture comprising the blast furnace slag and the at least one solid alkali metal silicate.

A fireplace surround structure is disclosed. The fireplace surround structure includes a mantel portion, a first vertical leg portion and a second vertical leg portion. The first leg portion and the second leg portion extend downward from the mantel portion at opposite ends to form a unitary fireplace surround structure. Each leg portion has a skeletal bar frame with a plurality of bar portions defining a three sided generally rectangular structure. Each of the sides has a lightweight non-combustible board portion attached on the exterior of the frame. The fireplace surround structure is open to one side and mountable on a wall surface. Each board portion is cast from a mix of Portland cement, silica, and cellulose fibers, which are combined and sintered into a flat board structure.

The present invention provides calcium sulphate-based product having reduced shrinkage after exposure to high temperatures, the product comprising gypsum, a pozzolan source e.g. in an amount between 4-27 wt %) and a metal salt additive in an amount between 0.5 and 10 wt %). The pozzolan source may be selected from a kaolinitic clay material, fly ash, rice husk ash, diatomaceous earths, volcanic ashes and pumices, micro-silica, silica fume and silicone oil, The metal salt additive may be a metal salt which decomposes between a temperature of 300-500° C. to yield a metal oxide, e.g. magnesium nitrate.