Abstract: A porous fibrous honeycomb substrate having an aluminum titanate composition and methods of producing the same are provided herein. Precursors of aluminum titanate are provided in an extrudable mixture that includes fiber materials to form a green honeycomb substrate. When cured, the precursors of aluminum titanate form an aluminum titanate composition, with the fiber materials defining the porous microstructure. Various composite structures including aluminum titanate are provided to form a porous honeycomb substrate that can be configured to be filtration media and/or a catalytic host.

Abstract: A method is provided for producing a highly porous substrate. More particularly, the present invention enables fibers, such as organic, inorganic, glass, ceramic, polymer, or metal fibers, to be combined with binders and additives, and extruded, to form a porous substrate. Depending on the selection of the constituents used to form an extrudable mixture, the present invention enables substrate porosities of about 60% to about 90%, and enables process advantages at other porosities, as well. The extrudable mixture may use a wide variety of fibers and additives, and is adaptable to a wide variety of operating environments and applications. Additives can be selected that form inorganic bonds between overlapping fibers in the extruded substrate that provide enhanced strength and performance of the porous substrate in a variety of applications, such as, for example, filtration and as a host for catalytic processes, such as catalytic converters.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a fibrous material includes mixing at least two cordierite precursor materials to form a mixture. One or more of the at least two cordierite precursor materials is in a form of a fiber and the mixture includes about 43% to about 51% by weight SiO2, about 36% to about 41% by weight Al2O3, and about 12% to about 16% by weight MgO. The method also includes extruding the mixture to create a fibrous body, and heat treating the fibrous body, at a temperature of about 1200° C. to about 1420° C., to form the fibrous material including about 50% to about 95% by weight cordierite. A fibrous body includes an extruded substrate having a plurality of fibers including about 50% to about 95% by weight cordierite. The extruded substrate has a coefficient of thermal expansion in at least one direction of less than about 3.8·10?6 per ° C.

Abstract: A method of the controlling the chemical and physical characteristics of a body formed from a powder precursor, including measuring a predetermined amount of a first particulate precursor material, wherein the first particulate precursor material defines a plurality of respective generally spherical first phase particles, adhering second phase particles to the respective first phase particles to define composite particles, forming the composite particles into a green body, and heating the green body to yield a fired body. The second phase particles adhered to the first phase particles are substantially uniformly distributed and a respective first phase particle defines a first particle diameter that is at least about 10 times larger than the second phase diameter defined by a respective second phase particle. The composite particles define a predetermined composition.

Abstract: A fibrous ceramic material comprises a plurality of fibers having a modified aluminosilicate compositional structure (i.e., x(RO).y(Al2O3).z(SiO2) or w(MO).x(RO).y(Al2O3).z(SiO2)). The fibrous ceramic material is form by combining two or more x(RO).y(Al2O3).z(SiO2) or w(MO).x(RO).y(Al2O3).z(SiO2) precursors in which at least one of the two or more precursors is in fiber form. The resulting fibrous ceramic material has a low coefficient of thermal expansion (i.e., ?4.7×10?6/° C.).

Abstract: A fibrous ceramic material comprises a plurality of fibers having a RxMg2Al4+xSi5?xO18 or RxMg2?xAl4Si5O18 compositional structure. The fibrous ceramic material is form by combining two or more RxMg2Al4+xSi5?xO18 or RxMg2?xAl4Si5O18 precursors in which at least one of the two or more RxMg2Al4+xSi5?xO18 or RxMg2?xAl4Si5O18 precursors is in fiber form. The fibrous ceramic material is shaped to form a fibrous body in which at least about 20% of all fibers therein are aligned in a substantially common direction.

Abstract: A highly porous substrate is provided using an extrusion system. More particularly, the present invention enables the production of a highly porous substrate. Depending on the particular mixture, the present invention enables substrate porosities of about 60% to about 90%, and enables advantages at other porosities, as well. The extrusion system enables the use of a wide variety of fibers and additives, and is adaptable to a wide variety of operating environments and applications. Fibers, which have an aspect ratio greater than 1, are selected according to substrate requirements, and are typically mixed with binders, pore-formers, extrusion aids, and fluid to form a homogeneous extrudable mass. The homogeneous mass is extruded into a green substrate. The more volatile material is preferentially removed from the green substrate, which allows the fibers to form interconnected networks.

Abstract: A method for increasing the strength of the bond between a cementitious layer and a tile or substrate layer, including applying a coating of high-silica glaze to the tile, bonding the high-silica glaze to the tile, bonding the high-silica glaze to the cementious layer, and curing the cementitious layer to yield a high-strength bonded tile system. The high-silica glaze further includes silica and flux. The molar ratio of silica to flux is at least about 5 to 1 and the flux further comprises RO and R2O. The molar ratio of RO to R2O is at least about 7 to 3. RO is selected from the group including CaO, SrO, BaO, ZnO, FeO, PbO and their combinations and R2O is selected from the group including Li2O, Na2O, K2O, and their combinations.

Abstract: A method for increasing the strength of the bond between a cementitious layer and a tile or substrate layer, including applying a coating of high-silica glaze to the tile, bonding the high-silica glaze to the tile, bonding the high-silica glaze to the cementious layer, and curing the cementitious layer to yield a high-strength bonded tile system. The high-silica glaze further includes silica and flux. The molar ratio of silica to flux is at least about 5 to 1 and the flux further comprises RO and R2O. The molar ratio of RO to R2O is at least about 7 to 3. RO is selected from the group including CaO, SrO, BaO, ZnO, FeO, PbO and their combinations and R2O is selected from the group including Li2O, Na2O, K2O, and their combinations.

Abstract: A method of controlling reaction paths of glass batch components added to a resident glass melt is provided, including the steps of providing a plurality of raw material batch components according to a batch recipe, selectively combining a portion of the batch components into a first combination material having a melting temperature in a range of 60 to 90% of a resident melt temperature (K) and a viscosity3 a melt viscosity/100, and selectively combining another portion of the batch components into a second combination material having a reaction temperature in a range of 60 to 100% of the resident melt temperature, the second combination material being capable of forming an intermediate compound via a solid state reaction before reacting with the glass melt. The first and second combination materials and any remaining batch components are mixed and introduced into a glass melter.

Abstract: A method for increasing the strength of concrete, including applying a coating of high- silica glaze to porcelain aggregate pieces, dispersing the glaze-coated porcelain aggregate pieces in a Portland cement matrix, bonding the high-silica glaze to the porcelain aggregate pieces, bonding the high-silica glaze to the Portland cement matrix, and curing the Portland cement matrix to yield high-strength concrete. The high-silica glaze further include silica and flux. The molar ratio of silica to flux is at least about 5 to 1 and the flux further comprises RO and R2O. The molar ratio of RO to R2O is at least about 7 to 3. RO is selected from the group including CaO, SrO, BaO, ZnO, FeO, PbO and their combinations and R2O is selected from the group including Li2O, Na2O, K2O, and their combinations.

Abstract: A method for producing a cultured pearl, including the forming a green body from a calcium carbonate precursor powder, equilibrating the moisture content of the green body to a level of between about 5 weight percent and about 8 weight percent, partially densifying the green body and spheroidizing the green body to a produce calcium carbonate sphere, sintering the calcium carbonate sphere to produce a densified seed, tumbling the densified seed in fluidized calcite, placing the densified seed between the mantle lobe and the shell of a bivalve, growing a pearl around the seed, and harvesting the pearl from the bivalve. Preferably, the pearl is grown over a duration of between about 6 months about 36 months.