Stone slabs, and systems and methods of forming slabs, are described. Some example slabs include a first pattern defined by a first particulate mineral mix and a second pattern defined by a second particulate mineral mix different from the first particulate mineral mix. The first particulate mix includes greater than 50 weight percent of first metallic particles.

Stone slabs, and systems and methods of forming slabs, are described. Some example slabs include a first pattern defined by a first particulate mineral mix and a second pattern defined by a second particulate mineral mix different from the first particulate mineral mix. Locations of the first pattern have a first average thickness perpendicular to the slab width and the slab length, and locations of the second pattern have a second average thickness perpendicular to the slab width and the slab length that is different from the first average thickness.

A process for providing a fiber cement product is provided the process comprising the steps of: —providing an uncured fiber cement product; —curing said uncured fiber cement product; —drying said cured fiber cement product to obtain a humidity of said cured fiber cement product being less than or equal to about 8% w; —abrasive blasting at least part of the surface of said dried fiber cement product.

A technique is described for the application of three-dimensional (3D) relief to a substrate such as a ceramic tile using digital inkjet technology. In an example embodiment, the introduced technique includes application of binder ink to a portion of the surface of a substrate using a digital inkjet process. This binder ink forms a barrier layer which protects the portion of the surface of the substrate. Next, a brushing process is applied to remove unprotected portions of the substrate, thereby forming the 3D relief in the substrate.

A method of producing a cylindrical insulator for a spark plug includes a molding step of forming ceramic powder filled in a cavity defined by a mold and a molding pin into a compact. In a first removal step of removing the compact from the mold, the compact has at least one protrusion formed in at least one recess of the molding pin formed in an outer cylindrical surface of the molding pin, and the at least one protrusion is locked in the at least one recess, thereby allowing the compact to be removed with the molding pin from the mold. In a second removal step of removing the molding pin from the compact, the molding pin is turned or rotated in the circumferential direction about the compact, causing the at least one recess to cut the at least one protrusion from the compact, and thereafter the molding pin is removed from the compact.

What is shown and described is a concrete element including a core concrete layer and a face concrete layer, the face concrete layer being obtained by compacting and hardening a mixture containing a latent hydraulic binder and/or a pozzolanic binder, water, a granular material and an alkaline hardener, with the granular material having, at a screen hole width of 2 mm, a through fraction from 35.5 wt. % to 99.5 wt. % and, at a screen hole width of 0.25 mm, a through fraction from 2.5 wt. % to 33.5 wt. %, each based on the total weight of the granular material.

A honeycomb formed body containing a ceramics raw material, the honeycomb formed body including: a pillar shaped honeycomb structure portion having a plurality of rectangular cells, the cells being defined by partition walls and extending from a first end face to a second end face to form flow paths; an outer peripheral portion having outer peripheral portions X where the partition walls are covered with an outer peripheral wall; and outer peripheral portions Y where the partition walls are exposed. Each of the outer peripheral portions X includes a tapered portion having a gradually deceasing thickness of the outer peripheral wall toward a boundary portion with an adjacent outer peripheral portion Y. The tapered portion requires a length equal to or more than one time of an average cell pitch in the outer peripheral direction until thickness of the outer peripheral wall is halved.

A decorative concrete with a very uniform finish surface and a method of fabricating the same is disclosed. A concrete mixture is poured over a subgrade which defines an exposed surface. The exposed surface is finished with any of several techniques, and the surface is then worked with an abrasive material, and additional techniques are used to color and seal the concrete.

A process produces building materials with inert materials capable of remaining durably solid and with a low environmental impact. The process includes mixing sand, sodium hydroxide and possibly additives, adding calcined kaolin, adding sodium silicate and/or a mixture of sodium silicate and potassium hydroxide, and adding photocatalytic titanium dioxide.

The present disclosure describes architectural blocks configured to give the appearance of real cut stone. A plaster composition may be applied to one or more surfaces of a block, such as a concrete masonry unit (CMU) to form an architectural block having the appearance of cut stone. The plaster composition includes a cementitious component, such as white Portland cement, a limestone aggregate component, and optionally an adhesive component. The limestone aggregate component includes a fine sand portion and a coarse sand portion that effectively enable the appearance of cut stone after finishing of the plaster surface via sanding and/or polishing.