Abstract: A paper material having water sorption capacity and method for forming the same is provided. The paper material may be formed from a mixture including thermoplastic organic fibers, micro porous particles, and hydroscopic salt or a mixture including organic fibers, titania or a transition alumina micro porous particles, and a hydroscopic salt. The paper may be produced by forming an aqueous slurry, including organic fibers and micro porous particles, mixing the slurry, feeding the mixed slurry into a paper making apparatus thereby forming a sheet, contacting the sheet with a solution containing an amount of hydroscopic salt, and drying the hydroscopic salt containing solution.

Abstract: A paper material having water sorption capacity and method for forming the same is provided. The paper material may be formed from a mixture including thermoplastic organic fibers, micro porous particles, and hydroscopic salt or a mixture including organic fibers, titania or a transition alumina micro porous particles, and a hydroscopic salt. The paper may be produced by forming an aqueous slurry, including organic fibers and micro porous particles, mixing the slurry, feeding the mixed slurry into a paper making apparatus thereby forming a sheet, contacting the sheet with a solution containing an amount of hydroscopic salt, and drying the hydroscopic salt containing solution.

Abstract: A system for humidifying a gas, the system including a housing defining a humidification chamber through which a gas travels, and a humidification assembly adjacent to the housing. The humidification assembly includes a source of humidifying liquid and a porous wick for carrying the humidifying liquid from the source of the humidifying liquid into the humidification chamber. The wick separates the source of humidifying liquid from the humidification chamber such that the humidifying liquid flows through the wick before humidifying the gas traveling through the humidification chamber.

Abstract: An improved porous article and a method for forming such porous article are provided. A mixture of ceramic or articles and pliable organic hollow spheres is prepared in a liquid typically as a suspension. The article is formed by pressing, slip casting, extruding or injection molding the mixture. The article is dried to remove the liquid, and then is fired so that the particles are bonded such as by sintering, and the organic spheres are eliminated, resulting in a strong porous article having uniformly spaced interconnected voids.

Abstract: An improved porous article and a method for forming such porous article are provided. A mixture of ceramic or metal particles and pliable organic hollow spheres is prepared in a liquid, typically as a suspension. The article is formed by pressing, slip casting, extruding or injection molding the mixture. The article is dried to remove the liquid, and then is fired so that the particles are bonded such as by sintering, and the organic spheres are eliminated, resulting in a strong porous article having uniformly spaced interconnected voids.

Abstract: An improved porous article and a method for forming such porous article are provided. A mixture of ceramic or metal particles and pliable organic hollow spheres is prepared in a liquid, typically as a suspension. The article is formed by pressing, slip casting, extruding or injection molding the mixture. The article is dried to remove the liquid, and then is fired so that the particles are bonded such as by sintering, and the organic spheres are eliminated, resulting in a strong porous article having uniformly spaced interconnected voids.

Abstract: A system for humidifying a gas, the system including a housing defining a humidification chamber through which a gas travels, and a humidification assembly adjacent to the housing. The humidification assembly includes a source of humidifying liquid and a porous wick for carrying the humidifying liquid from the source of the humidifying liquid into the humidification chamber. The wick separates the source of humidifying liquid from the humidification chamber such that the humidifying liquid flows through the wick before humidifying the gas traveling through the humidification chamber.

Abstract: An improved porous article and a method for forming such porous article are provided. A mixture of ceramic or metal particles and pliable organic hollow spheres is prepared in a liquid, typically as a suspension. The article is formed by pressing, slip casting, extruding or injection molding the mixture. The article is dried to remove the liquid, and then is fired so that the particles are bonded such as by sintering, and the organic spheres are eliminated, resulting in a strong porous article having uniformly spaced interconnected voids.

Abstract: An improved porous ceramic article and a method for forming such porous ceramic article. A mixture of ceramic particles and pliable organic hollow spheres is prepared in a liquid, typically as a suspension. The article is formed by pressing, slip casting, extruding or injection molding the mixture. The article is dried to remove the liquid, and then is fired so that the ceramic particles are bonded such as by sintering, and the organic spheres are burned off, resulting in a strong porous ceramic article having uniformly spaced interconnected voids.

Abstract: An improved porous ceramic article and a method for forming such porous ceramic article. A mixture of ceramic particles and pliable organic hollow spheres is prepared in a liquid, typically as a suspension. The article is formed by pressing, slip casting, extruding or injection molding the mixture. The article is dried to remove the liquid, and then is fired so that the ceramic particles are bonded such as by sintering, and the organic spheres are burned off, resulting in a strong porous ceramic article having uniformly spaced interconnected voids.

Abstract: There is provided a method and apparatus for removing liquid salts from liquid metal utilizing at least one porous substrate which is wettable by liquid salts and is not wettable by liquid metal. The porous substrate is inserted into a container having a quantity of liquid metal which is contaminated with an amount of liquid salt. The salt contaminated liquid metal contacts the substrate so that the liquid salt is absorbed into the porous substrate. The salt wetted porous substrate is then removed from the container.

Abstract: There is provided an apparatus and method for detecting molten salt in molten metal. A pair of electrically conductive probes are immersed in the molten metal. The probes are connected to an electrical circuit which includes a voltage source and a current detector. The entire immersed portion of one of the probes is coated with an electrically nonconductive porous material which is wetted by molten salt but is not wetted by molten metal. If molten salt is present, the circuit will be completed and a substantial electrical current will flow between the probes, which current is detected by the current detector. If no salt is present, the circuit will not be completed and essentially zero current will be detected.

Abstract: There is provided a composite ceramic foam filter having an outer edge which is surrounded by a protective sleeve, with the outer edge of the filter being bonded to the inner surface of the sleeve. The composite is preferably made by forming a ceramic sleeve having an opening therein, and forming a ceramic foam filter of a size and shape to fit the opening in the sleeve; placing the filter into the sleeve opening thereby forming a composite; and drying and firing the composite thereby bonding the filter to the sleeve, resulting in a single piece. Alternatively, a dried foam filter could be placed into the opening of an unfired sleeve and the two pieces are then fired together.

Abstract: There is provided an improved radiant burner formed from a reticulated ceramic substrate. The porosity of the substrate is such as to permit combustible gas to pass therethrough. The substrate includes a plurality of intersecting grooves extending into one of its surfaces, thereby substantially eliminating cold spots on the radiant burner.

Abstract: A new heat sink composition having relatively high volumetric heat capacity and relatively high density have been prepared. The compositions comprise a set of formulas including: a) 50-95% oxide of iron and 50-5% of a mixture of clay, an organic binder or an inorganic binder, where said mixture can contain any portion of clay, organic binder or inorganic binder in any proportions provided the mixture adheres to the 50-5% compositional range; b) 15-95% oxide of iron and 85-5% of clay; c) 15-85% oxide of iron, 10-2% of a transition metal oxide other than iron and 75-13% inorganic binder; and d) 50-80% oxide of iron, 15-5% of talc and 35-15% clay. The compositions show good dried and fired properties and can even be loaded and fired in-situ because they possess good dried crush strength.

Abstract: Ceramic bodies suitable for use in the filtration of molten metal are formed by immersing a porous organic substrate material in an aqueous thixotropic slurry containing yttria, zirconia and alumina; expelling excess slurry; drying the impregnated material; and heating to an elevated temperature to burn off the organic material and sinter the ceramic materials. The resulting zirconia-alumina ceramic bodies have from about 5-80% of the zirconia in a monoclinic phase and the remainder of the zirconia essentially in a stabilized cubic phase due to the yttria. The ceramic bodies thus produced have excellent strength, density, and thermal shock resistance properties.

Abstract: A product and method for conditioning fabrics, especially denim, is disclosed. The product is an artificial stone made up of an inorganic filler, inorganic abrasive particles and an inorganic bond for the filler and abrasive. The method is the use of the stone to condition fabrics.

Abstract: Essentially spherical particles are disclosed of at least 98.5% alumina having a surface area less than about 1 m.sup.2 /g, an attrition resistance of less than about 0.3 weight percent/hour in an air jet attrition test, a particle size of about 30 to about 110 microns, a tap density of about 1.3 to about 1.9 g/cc, and sufficient porosity to hold catalytic metals in conventional catalytic amounts. The alumina particles are especially suited for use as fluid bed catalyst carriers for use in environments involving the presence of steam, particularly at high temperatures.

Abstract: Processes for making rigid ceramic bodies with one or more channels therein includes forming an outer tube of extrudable ceramic mix about an inner core of extrudable organic mix within the chamber of a piston type extrusion barrel composite, simultaneously extruding the outer tube and inner core through a tapered extrusion die having an extrusion outlet of smaller cross sectional size and area than the inner chamber of the extrusion barrel, cutting the extruded single core composite strand into shorter composite strands of equal length, filling the extrusion barrel with a plurality of the single core composite strands, simultaneously extruding the plurality of composite strands through the extrusion die and thereby forming a multiple core composite strand, cutting the multiple core composite strand into unfired green composite ceramic bodies and firing or alternatively prior to the cutting and firing steps again cutting the multiple core composite strand into equal lengths, refilling of the barrel therewith