The present disclosure relates to roofing granule having a base granule with at least one layer on the base granule that includes hollow glass spheres embedded in a ceramic matrix and a roofing article having a substrate and a plurality of any embodiment of roofing granules described above. The disclosure additionally relates to a roofing granule precursor mixture containing base granules, an aluminum silicate, an alkali metal silicate, and hollow glass spheres. The disclosure also relates to a method of making roofing granules including providing base granules; applying a coating containing hollow glass spheres, an aluminum silicate, an alkali metal silicate to the base granules; and heating the coated granules to a temperature between about 550° F. and about 1000° F.

The present disclosure relates to roofing granule having a base granule with at least one layer on the base granule that includes hollow glass spheres embedded in a ceramic matrix and a roofing article having a substrate and a plurality of any embodiment of roofing granules described above. The disclosure additionally relates to a roofing granule precursor mixture containing base granules, an aluminum silicate, an alkali metal silicate, and hollow glass spheres. The disclosure also relates to a method of making roofing granules including providing base granules; applying a coating containing hollow glass spheres, an aluminum silicate, an alkali metal silicate to the base granules; and heating the coated granules to a temperature between about 550° F. and about 1000° F.

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for producing seeds that are transformed into hollow spheres. A seed includes a core and a coating. Upon heating, the coating becomes viscous and expands responsive to an internal gas pressure created by the core. Example applications for the seeds and/or cores are disclosed, including bricks and other construction materials having the hollow spheres incorporated therein.

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for producing seeds that are transformed into hollow spheres. A seed includes a core and a coating. Upon heating, the coating becomes viscous and expands responsive to an internal gas pressure created by the core. Example applications for the seeds and/or cores are disclosed, including bricks and other construction materials having the hollow spheres incorporated therein.

A coated nonwoven mat includes a nonwoven base layer and a coating layer. The nonwoven base layer is formed from a plurality of fibers held together by a binder and includes a first surface and a second surface. The coating layer includes a coating composition comprising a binder component, a filler, and one or more performance modifiers. The coated nonwoven mat has an average Gurley porosity of at least 10 seconds and an average hydrostatic head performance of at least 10 mbar.

High-strength, lightweight core-shell aggregates are formed from waste materials. The aggregates include porous core materials which may be one or more of perlite, vermiculite, cenospheres, expanded polystyrene, or biochar. Formed on the core materials is at least one layer of shell material which includes one or more of GGBS, fly ash, recycled concrete powder, recycled glass powder, or biochar powder. The high-strength, lightweight core- shell aggregates have a loose bulk density less than approximately 980 kg/m.sup.3, a crushing strength higher than approximately 4 MPa, a water absorption of less than 20%, and a carbon emission of approximately 181 kgCO.sub.2eq/t or less. Lightweight concrete is formed by incorporating the high-strength, lightweight core-shell aggregates with cement to create concrete with a density of 1900 kg/m.sup.3 or less.