Abstract: A glass block wall has a frame member that frictionally engages the glass block adjacent thereto. A continuous flexible spacer member extends along the horizontal end walls of the glass blocks in each course. Separate vertical spacer members abut the adjacent vertical end walls of the glass blocks and a filler material is positioned in the recess formed between the edges of the adjacent glass blocks and the edge of the spacer member. The spacer members have a configuration to align the glass blocks in the wall and to stabilize each of the glass blocks in the wall.

Abstract: A translucent end block which may be secured to an exposed side or top abutting surface of a translucent block includes a pair of parallel upper and lower surfaces spaced from each other and having generally the same preselected shape. A pair of side walls extend between the upper and lower surfaces and are joined to the upper and lower surfaces. The pair of side walls each have first wall portions positioned in parallel, spaced relation with each other and nonparallel second wall portions. A first end wall is positioned between the pair of side walls first wall portions and is joined to the upper and lower surfaces and to the pair of side walls first wall portions. The end block is secured to an exposed side or top abutting surface of a translucent block which forms a part of a translucent block wall structure to provide a translucent block wall structure having usable top or side surfaces.

Abstract: Sintered particles of pulverulant glass and cellulating agent are coated with a parting agent and introduced into a fluidizing vessel. Gas is passed upwardly through the fluidizing vessel at a velocity sufficient to form a fluidized bed of these sintered particles within the fluidizing vessel. The gas and fluidized bed of sintered particles are heated within the fluidizing vessel to a cellulation temperature of the sintered particles to cause the sintered particles within the fluidized bed to form discrete cellular glass nodules of uniform size. The cellular glass nodules formed within the fluidized bed of sintered particles, having a density less than the density of the sintered particles, migrate to the top of the fluidized bed to float on the top surface of the fluidized bed. The discrete cellular glass nodules floating on the top surface of the fluidized bed are withdrawn from the fluidizing vessel.

Abstract: A translucent end cap which may be secured to an abutting side surface of a translucent block includes a pair of parallel top and bottom surfaces each having generally the same preselected shape. A side surface extends between the top and bottom surfaces and is perpendicular and joined to the top and bottom surfaces. The side surface has a contour generally conforming to the preselected shaped of the top and bottom surfaces. A raised rear surface portion extends from the side surface to form a protrusion. A portion of this protrusion is arranged to abut a portion of an abutting side surface of a translucent glass block to provide a mortar joint between the end capside surface and the abutting side surface of a translucent glass block. The end caps are secured to exposed top or side abutting surfaces of translucent blocks form a translucent block wall structure to provide a translucent block wall structure having usable top or side surfaces.

Abstract: A translucent block includes a pair of parallel upper and lower faces each having a generally irregular hexagonal shape. There are a pair of generally rectangular, opposing sides which are parallel with each other, have a first preselected height and a first preselected width, and are perpendicular and joined to the upper and lower faces. A first pair of generally rectangular, opposing ends are parallel with each other, have the first preselected height and a second preselected width, and are perpendicular and joined to the upper and lower faces. A second pair of generally rectangular, opposing ends are parallel with each other, have the first preselected height and the second preselected width, and are perpendicular and joined to the upper and the lower faces. One of the first pair of ends is joined to one of the second pair of ends with a predetermined angle of ninety degrees therebetween. Each of the first pair of ends and each of the second pair of ends are respectively joined to one of the pair of sides.

Abstract: A cellular ceramic insulating body that includes a plurality of rigid cellular ceramic segments adhesively secured to one another by a bonding agent. The cellular ceramic segments are arranged to be positioned adjacent to the surface of a member to be insulated. The bonding agent forms a flexible bond that substantially prevents thermal stress failure in the cellular ceramic insulating body at temperatures up to at least 650.degree. F. The cellular ceramic insulating body is operable to resist thermally induced cracking in the cellular ceramic segments at temperatures up to at least 650.degree. F.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for leveling a batch of pulverulent constituents in making a vitreous cellular material. A screen structure having at least one substantially flat screen layer is impressed down into and through at least a portion of the batch of pulverulent constituents. The screen structure is vibrated horizontally in a circular orbital motion while impressing the screen structure down into and through at least a portion of the batch of pulverulent constituents.

Abstract: Where a formulated glass cullet is utilized as a portion of the pulverulent batch material, the cellular material is prepared by first grinding the glass cullet in a ball mill with a cellulating agent such as carbon black until the pulverulent material attains an average particle size of about 4 or 5 microns. The pulverulent batch containing the glass cullet and cellulating agent is then sintered at a sintering temperature for a sufficient period of time to permit the glass cullet material to soften and coalesce and increase in density without, however, cellulating the glass batch. The sintering process is then interrupted and the sintered material may be cooled and crushed to a size that passes through a United States 10 mesh screen. The crushed and screened sintered material is then positioned in a suitable mold and subjected to a cellulating temperature of between about 1600.degree. F. (870.degree. C.) and 1650.degree. F. (899.degree. C.

Abstract: An intimate mixture of an amorphous silica potassium oxide, boric oxide, alumina and a cellulating agent is subjected to a temperature of between 1390.degree. C. to 1450.degree. C. for a sufficient time to coalesce the mixture and gasify the cellulating agent and form a cellular body. The mixture is prepared by first forming a slurry and, drying the slurry to form aggregates, and are thereafter comminuted if necessary to form a pulverulent batch. The pulverulent batch is heated in a cellulating furnace to a foam-like mass which is comminuted to form a precellulated material. The precellulated material is mixed with additional cellulating agent and pulverulent batch in preselected proportions and heated in a furnace to gasify the cellulating agent to form a cellular body. Alternatively alumina, boric oxide, an alkali metal salt and a cellulating agent are comminuted and mixed in a ball mill. Thereafter, amorphous silica is added to form a mixture containing more than 80% silica.

Abstract: An aqueous slurry comprising an intimate mixture of colloidal silica, (preferably an amorphous, precipitated, hydrated silica), caustic potash, boric acid and alumina is first prepared and then dried. The dried aggregates are thereafter crushed, calcined and rapidly quenched. It is preferred to dry the slurry in a spray drier and thereafter omit crushing after drying and to calcine the dried admixture by means of a plasma arc so that the mixture is rapidly quenched after calcination. The calcined mixture is introduced into a crusher, such as a ball mill, with a carbonaceous cellulating agent and reduced to a fine pulverulent material. The pulverulent material is then cellulated in a cellulating furnace to form cellular borosilicate bodies. Where desired, the calcined material may be utilized as a ceramic frit.

Abstract: An aqueous slurry comprising an intimate mixture of colloidal silica, (preferably an amorphous, precipitated, hydrated silica), caustic potash, boric acid and alumina is first prepared and then dried. The dried aggregates are thereafter crushed, calcined and rapidly quenched. It is preferred to dry the slurry in a spray drier and thereafter omit crushing after drying and to calcine the dried admixture by means of a plasma arc so that the mixture is rapidly quenched after calcination. The calcined mixture is introduced into a crusher, such as ball mill, with a carbonaceous cellulating agent and reduced to a fine pulverulent material. The pulverulent material is then cellulated in a cellulating furnace to form cellular borosilicate bodies. Where desired, the calcined material may be utilized as a ceramic frit.

Abstract: An aqueous slurry comprising an intimate mixture of colloidal silica, (preferably an amorphous, precipitated, hydrated silica), caustic potash, boric acid and alumina is first prepared and then dried. The dried aggregates are thereafter crushed, calcined and rapidly quenched. It is preferred to dry the slurry in a spray drier and thereafter omit crushing after drying and to calcine the dried admixture by means of a plasma arc so that the mixture is rapidly quenched after calcination. The calcined mixture is introduced into a crusher, such as a ball mill, with a carbonaceous cellulating agent and reduced to a fine pulverulent material. The pulverulent material is then cellulated in a cellulating furnace to form cellular borosilicate bodies. Where desired, the calcined material may be utilized as a ceramic frit.

Abstract: Load bearing insulation for the base of liquefied gas storage tanks comprises a plurality of courses of cellular glass blocks having horizontal cut faces with open hemispherical cells thereon. A layer of irreversably compressible inorganic particulate material, such as vermiculite, is applied by rolling or screeding on and between each course of cellular glass blocks. The vermiculite particles penetrate the plurality of open hemispherical cells to completely fill the cells. During the application of the vermiculite capping layer, particles are precompressed to bring the vermiculite particles into intimate contact with the open cells. The precompression of the vermiculite capping layer mechanically adheres the particles to the cellular glass block cut face to thus form an irreversibly compressible capping layer on and in between the cellular glass blocks having a compressive strength in the range between about 90 p.s.i. to 180 p.s.i.

Abstract: A mortar composition for use in bonding cellular glass bodies includes a mixture, as expressed by percentage weight, of finely powdered reactive glass, such as cellular glass powder, in the range of between about 26 to 48 percent, inert aggregate filler in the range of between about 26 and 61 percent, and a silica sol binder in the range of between about 13 and 26 percent. The cellular glass powder has substantially the same composition as the cellular glass bodies being bonded. The inert aggregate filler preferably comprises round grained silica sand having a particle size wherein substantially all of the particles pass through a U.S. Standard #35 Screen and coarse cellular glass particles wherein substantially all the particles pass through a U.S. Standard #35 Screen. The ratio of finely powdered reactive glass to sol binder is maintained between about 1.8 to 1 and 2.0 to 1. By controlling the particle size of the finely ground cellular glass powder, the sol demand is substantially minimized.

Abstract: A dilute slurry that includes mineral wool fibers, a clay binder, other binders and a flocculent is introduced into a forming tank at several elevations and with sufficient velocity to circulate toroidally therein. A mandrel having the desired configuration of one surface of the shaped article is lowered into the forming tank and rotated at a preselected speed. Vacuum is applied to the rotating mandrel and a substantially uniform layer of solids is deposited on the outer surface of the mandrel while the filtrate is withdrawn through an internal portion of the mandrel and conveyed to a filtrate recovery tank. After a layer of a preselected thickness is deposited on the outer surface of the mandrel, the mandrel is removed from the forming tank and vacuum is maintained on the mandrel to reduce the water content of the accreted fibers to between about 40 to 65% by weight water. Thereafter, while on the mandrel, the accreted fiber-shaped article is trimmed to provide an outer surface of a desired configuration.

Abstract: A preformed laminate insulating body including an inner layer of a substantially rigid cellular ceramic or siliceous insulating material positioned adjacent the surface to be insulated, a layer of reinforcing material adhesively secured thereto by a bonding agent, and an outer layer of similar cellular ceramic or siliceous insulating material preferably having a thickness less than 2 inches. The reinforcing layer limits cracks and fissures in the first layer of cellular insulating material, caused by thermal stress, from propagating through the outer layer of cellular insulating material; and even though some cracks and fissures do occur in the outer layer of insulating material, the reinforcing layer bonds the two layers of insulating material so securely that the integrity and the insulating property of the laminate body are preserved.

Abstract: Acid-resistant mortar compositions and selected products bonded therewith are provided wherein the mortar composition comprises a major portion of a cellular boro silicate glass powder, a silica sol, and a setting or hardening agent. Mortars of the invention are especially useful in bonding cellular glass bodies having a composition substantially identical to the boro silicate glass powder and low alkali metal ion content to provide bonded product arrays having excellent thermal shock characteristics. Additional selected aggregate fillers may be included in the mortar compositions.