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 relates to a well-being heating chair and a method for manufacturing same. The well-being heating chair is not harmful to the body, for an environment-friendly composition is used, can provide a humidity control function, antimicrobial activity, deodorization and the like, is light weight relative to the volume and thus can be handled easily, is non-flammable and has excellent compressive strength.

Methods including preparing a mixture including a binder composition containing at least one binder and at least one mineral filler, and curing the mixture to produce a material having improved electrical conductivity at 20° C., where at least 20% by weight of the at least one mineral filler is iron-containing slag.

A well cement composite and a method for making a well cement composite includes a mixture of calcium aluminate cement (CAC) and fly ash cenospheres (CS) in a weight ratio of from 30:70 to 80:20 CAC to CS; sodium metasilicate (SMS) in an amount of from 1 to 10% of the total weight of the mixture of CAC and CS; polymethylhydrosiloxane (PMHS) in an amount of from 0.5 to 6.0% of the total weight of the mixture of CAC and CS; and water in a weight ratio of from 0.5:1.0 to 1.2:1.0 of water to CAC and CS.

A lightweight thermal insulating cement-based material is formed from a mixture that includes cement, water and a foaming agent. The foaming agent can be an aluminum powder or a surfactant. The insulating material has a maximum use temperature of about 900 degrees Celsius or more.

A refractory article includes a body having a first portion defining at least a portion of a first exterior surface of the body, the first portion including a carbide, and further including a second portion defining at least a portion of a second exterior surface of the body opposite the first exterior surface, the second portion including an oxide, and a thermal conductivity difference (ΔTC) of at least 10 W/mK between the first exterior surface and the second exterior surface, and an average Shell Temperature of not greater than 400° C.

A cement-based material is formed from a mixture that includes cement in the range of about 40 to 90% by wet weight percent, a lightweight expanded aggregate in the range of about 10 to 60% by wet weight percent, a secondary material in the range of about 0.1 to 50% by wet weight percent, a reinforcement fiber in the range of about 1 to 20% by wet weight percent, a rheology modifying agent in the range of about 0.5 to 10% by wet weight percent, a retarder in the range of about 0.1 to 8% by wet weight percent, and water in the range of 10 to 60% of a total wet material weight.

The present invention relates to a thermal emissivity coating composition comprising: a) an emissivity agent in an amount from 30 to 65% by weight with respect to the total weight of the thermal emissivity coating composition; b) a filler selected from the group consisting of oxides of aluminum, silicon, magnesium, calcium, boron and mixtures of two or more thereof, in an amount from 10 to 35 wt % with respect to the total weight of the thermal emissivity coating composition; and c) a binder in an amount from 12 to 52 wt % with respect to the total weight of the thermal emissivity coating composition; wherein the emissivity agent comprises cobalt oxide in an amount from 10 to 25 wt %, preferably 12 to 25 wt % with respect to the total weight of the thermal emissivity coating composition and further comprises chromium oxide and titanium oxide.

A new class of multi-component rare earth multi-silicate materials has been created for use in harsh environments such as gas turbine engines. Moreover, by combining two-or-more rare earth disilicates the properties (for example, thermal expansion, thermal conductivity, etc.) can be tailored to fit specific applications, such as having a matching thermal expansion with that of silicon-based composites and a low thermal conductivity close to that of 1 W/m K. Applications can be extended for use with other material classes such as MCrAlY, MAX-phase, and refractory metal alloys, utilizing a thermal expansion of up to about 15−10.sup.−6 /° C. By mixing of specific sets of rare earth disilicates it is possible to obtain a high entropy or entropy stabilized mixture, and utilize features such as “sluggish diffusion”, and more.

The present invention relates to a thermal insulating composition, containing 5 to 60% by weight of a hydrophobized granular material comprising fumed silica and at least one IR-opacifier, and 40 to 95% by weight of an inorganic and/or an organic binder, whereby the hydrophobized granular material has a content of free hydroxyl groups of no greater than 0.12 mmol/g, as determined by the reaction with lithium aluminium hydride.