A conductive concrete electric thermal battery includes conductive concrete; and a plurality of electrodes disposed in the conductive concrete, each electrode of the plurality of electrodes is mechanically isolated from every other electrode of the plurality of electrodes and configured to connect electrically to a source of electrical energy. The conductive concrete includes a mixture of concrete and at least one conductive material.

A conductive concrete electric thermal battery includes conductive concrete; and a plurality of electrodes disposed in the conductive concrete, each electrode of the plurality of electrodes is mechanically isolated from every other electrode of the plurality of electrodes and configured to connect electrically to a source of electrical energy. The conductive concrete includes a mixture of concrete and at least one conductive material.

A method may include comprising: defining engineering parameters of a proposed cement slurry, the engineering parameters comprising at least a compressive strength requirement, a density requirement, a storage time requirement, and a thickening time requirement; selecting, based at least in part on a model of compressive strength, a model of storage time, and the density requirement, at least a cement and mass fraction thereof, at least one supplementary cementitious material and mass fraction thereof, and a water and mass fraction thereof, such that a set cement formed from the cement, the at least one supplementary cementitious material, and the water meets or exceeds the compressive strength requirement and the density requirement; selecting, based at least in part on a model of thickening time, an accelerator and mass fraction thereof; and preparing a cement slurry comprising the cement and mass fraction thereof, the at least one supplementary cementitious material and mass fraction thereof, the water and mass fraction thereof, and the cement retarder and mass fraction thereof.

A process is provided for producing a biomass-derived rheology modifier, comprising: providing a pretreated feedstock comprising cellulose-rich solids; refining the cellulose-rich solids in a first high-intensity refining unit, generating refined cellulose solids; gelling the refined cellulose solids in a second high-intensity refining unit, thereby generating gelled cellulose solids; and homogenizing the gelled cellulose solids in a high-shear homogenizer, thereby generating a biomass-derived rheology modifier. The pretreated feedstock may include kraft pulp, sulfite pulp, AVAP® pulp, soda pulp, mechanical pulp, thermomechanical pulp, and/or chemimechanical pulp, derived from wood or lignocellulosic biomass. The pretreated feedstock may be GP3+® pulp, obtained from steam or hot-water extraction of lignocellulosic biomass. These rheology modifiers may be utilized in a wide variety of applications, including water-based or oil-based hydraulic fracturing fluid formulations, as gelling agents. These rheology modifiers are biodegradable, and their production does not directly involve chemicals other than biomass and water.

A process is provided for producing a biomass-derived rheology modifier, comprising: providing a pretreated feedstock comprising cellulose-rich solids; refining the cellulose-rich solids in a first high-intensity refining unit, generating refined cellulose solids; gelling the refined cellulose solids in a second high-intensity refining unit, thereby generating gelled cellulose solids; and homogenizing the gelled cellulose solids in a high-shear homogenizer, thereby generating a biomass-derived rheology modifier. The pretreated feedstock may include kraft pulp, sulfite pulp, AVAP® pulp, soda pulp, mechanical pulp, thermomechanical pulp, and/or chemimechanical pulp, derived from wood or lignocellulosic biomass. The pretreated feedstock may be GP3+® pulp, obtained from steam or hot-water extraction of lignocellulosic biomass. These rheology modifiers may be utilized in a wide variety of applications, including water-based or oil-based hydraulic fracturing fluid formulations, as gelling agents. These rheology modifiers are biodegradable, and their production does not directly involve chemicals other than biomass and water.

A process is provided for producing a biomass-derived rheology modifier, comprising: providing a pretreated feedstock comprising cellulose-rich solids; refining the cellulose-rich solids in a first high-intensity refining unit, generating refined cellulose solids; gelling the refined cellulose solids in a second high-intensity refining unit, thereby generating gelled cellulose solids; and homogenizing the gelled cellulose solids in a high-shear homogenizer, thereby generating a biomass-derived rheology modifier. The pretreated feedstock may include kraft pulp, sulfite pulp, AVAP® pulp, soda pulp, mechanical pulp, thermomechanical pulp, and/or chemimechanical pulp, derived from wood or lignocellulosic biomass. The pretreated feedstock may be GP3+® pulp, obtained from steam or hot-water extraction of lignocellulosic biomass. These rheology modifiers may be utilized in a wide variety of applications, including water-based or oil-based hydraulic fracturing fluid formulations, as gelling agents. These rheology modifiers are biodegradable, and their production does not directly involve chemicals other than biomass and water.

A low-density, high-strength concrete composition that is lightweight and self-compacting or non-self-compacting, with a low weight-fraction of aggregate to total dry raw materials, and a highly-homogenous distribution of a non-absorptive and closed-cell lightweight aggregate such as glass microspheres or copolymer polymer beads or a combination thereof, and the steps of providing the composition or components. Lightweight concretes formed therefrom have low density, high strength-to-weight ratios, and high R-value. The concrete has strength similar to that ordinarily found in structural lightweight concrete but at a lower density, such as an oven-dried density as low as 40 lbs./cu.ft. Such strength-to-density ratios range approximately from above 30 cu.ft/sq.in. to above 110 cu.ft/sq.in., with a 28-day compressive strength ranging from about 3400 to 8000 psi.

A low-density, high-strength concrete composition that is lightweight and self-compacting or non-self-compacting, with a low weight-fraction of aggregate to total dry raw materials, and a highly-homogenous distribution of a non-absorptive and closed-cell lightweight aggregate such as glass microspheres or copolymer polymer beads or a combination thereof, and the steps of providing the composition or components. Lightweight concretes formed therefrom have low density, high strength-to-weight ratios, and high R-value. The concrete has strength similar to that ordinarily found in structural lightweight concrete but at a lower density, such as an oven-dried density as low as 40 lbs./cu.ft. Such strength-to-density ratios range approximately from above 30 cu.ft/sq.in. to above 110 cu.ft/sq.in., with a 28-day compressive strength ranging from about 3400 to 8000 psi.

A low-density, high-strength concrete composition that is lightweight and self-compacting or non-self-compacting, with a low weight-fraction of aggregate to total dry raw materials, and a highly-homogenous distribution of a non-absorptive and closed-cell lightweight aggregate such as glass microspheres or copolymer polymer beads or a combination thereof, and the steps of providing the composition or components. Lightweight concretes formed therefrom have low density, high strength-to-weight ratios, and high R-value. The concrete has strength similar to that ordinarily found in structural lightweight concrete but at a lower density, such as an oven-dried density as low as 40 lbs./cu.ft. Such strength-to-density ratios range approximately from above 30 cu.ft/sq.in. to above 110 cu.ft/sq.in., with a 28-day compressive strength ranging from about 3400 to 8000 psi.

The present invention is a method for producing a powder dispersant composition for hydraulic compositions including, drying a mixture containing a copolymer having constituent unit (1) represented by the following formula (1) and constituent unit (2) represented by the following formula (2) and water to produce a powder containing the copolymer, wherein: when the copolymer is a copolymer whose n in constituent unit (2) is less than 40, the mixture is dried by a thin film drying method or a spray drying method with a pH of 11 or more and 14 or less; when the copolymer is a copolymer whose n in constituent unit (2) is 40 or more and less than 80, the mixture is dried by a thin film drying method or a spray drying method with a pH of 9 or more and 14 or less; and when the copolymer is a copolymer whose n in constituent unit (2) is 80 or more, the mixture is dried by a thin film drying method or a spray drying method with a pH of 7 or more and 14 or less,

##STR00001## wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.3 are the same or different and individually represent a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; R.sup.2 and R.sup.4 are the same or different and individually represent a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group with 1 or more and 3 or less carbons; M represents a hydrogen atom, an alkali metal, an alkaline-earth metal, ammonium or an organic ammonium; p represents a number of 0 or more and 2 or less; q represents a number of 0 or 1; and n represents an average number of added moles and a number of 5 or more and 150 or less.