The invention relates to a dark, flat element, preferably a plastic, lacquer coating or fiber material, having reduced density, low heat conductivity and low solar absorption. The flat element has a relatively high reflection infrared range of the electromagnetic spectrum reduce heating by sunlight in the near infrared dark tinting in the visible range. Low density conductivity are obtained inter alia by inserting in the near in order to area despite and low heat light filling materials into the flat element. Said flat element can be used in places where surfaces are dark tinted for aesthetic or technical reasons but should not heat up in sunlight and should give off little heat when touched by hand or by other parts of the body. Other areas of application include surfaces which should have a heat insulating effect in addition to the above-mentioned characteristics.

A porous ceramic structure has a porous ceramic aggregate configured from a plurality of porous ceramic particles, and the ratio of the number of corners at locations where two other porous ceramic particles are facing a corner of a porous ceramic particle with respect to the number of corners of the porous ceramic particles included in the porous ceramic aggregate is 80% or greater.

A porous ceramic structure has a porosity of 20% to 99%, and includes one principal surface and another principal surface opposite to the one principal surface. At least one cut is formed from the one principal surface toward the other principal surface. An aspect ratio of a divided portion divided by the cut is greater than or equal to 3.

Sub-ambient daytime radiative cooling (SDRC) coating comprising: an alkali activated metakaolin, BaSO.sub.4, and silica nanospheres, wherein the alkali activated metakaolin is prepared by reaction of metakaolin with an alkali activator comprising waterglass and a strong base selected from the group consisting of LiOH, NaOH, KOH, Ca(OH).sub.2, Li.sub.2O Na.sub.2O, K.sub.2O, CaO, and a mixture thereof, a coating formulation comprising the same, and a method of preparation and use thereof.

A porous ceramic particle has a porosity of 20% to 99%, and one principal surface of the porous ceramic particle is a mirror surface, and an aspect ratio thereof is greater than or equal to 3.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs), graphene platelets, or other forms of graphene are incorporated into raw materials before products and product components are manufactured from the materials. For example, CNTs may be incorporated into metallic powders, which can be pressed and sintered into metallic products and product components. CNTs or graphene platelets can also be incorporated into plastics, ceramics, metals, or other materials used to construct products and product components by additive manufacturing. When incorporated into the products and product components, the CNTs or graphene platelets can improve various properties of the products and product components, such as thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity, or structural properties.

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 geopolymer thermal energy storage (TES) concrete product comprising at least one binder; at least one alkali activator; at least one fine aggregate with high thermal conductivity and heat capacity; and at least one coarse aggregate with high thermal conductivity and heat capacity.

A composite wall panel comprising a panel frame and an insulating layer disposed therein, and a wall assembly comprising a plurality of the composite wall panels that are vertically jointed to one another. Various embodiments and combinations of embodiments are provided.

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.