Abstract: The invention provides methods and compositions for wound treatment and/or blood clot formation, e.g., arresting the flow of blood from an open wound. The methods and compositions provide for promoting and accelerating wound healing and optionally provide for inhibition of microbial infection and/or a local analgesic effect.

Abstract: A mullite body comprising: a plurality of crystals, wherein about 70 percent or greater of the crystals have a crystal diameter that is within about 3 microns or less of an average diameter of the plurality of crystals, and a porosity of 55 percent or greater; and made using a process comprising: mixing precursor materials together with an average aggregate particle size of about 3 microns or smaller measured using a particle size analyzer; heating greenware in air to a first temperature such that the greenware is dried and forms calcineware, heating the calcineware in a silicon tetrafiouride atmosphere to form flurotopaz, and heating to a second temperature so that a mullite structure is formed.

Abstract: Acicular mullite bodies are made in two-step firing process in which a green body is converted first to a fluorotopaz and then to acicular mullite. The bodies are contained within an enclosed region of the furnace. A flow of process gas is provided through the enclosed region during the fluorotopaz-forming step. The process gas is introduced into the enclosed region through multiple openings on at least one side of the enclosed region, and withdrawn through multiple openings on another side of the enclosed region. During the acicular mullite-forming step, a flow of purge gas is maintained in the exterior portion of the furnace. This purge gas may be removed by flowing it into the enclosed region of the furnace and out of the furnace from the enclosed region without re-entering the exterior portion for the furnace.

Abstract: The present invention relates to hetero-coagulated silica-alumina mixed oxide compositions that have a sharp refractive index and narrow refractive index dispersion between about 1.46 and 1.60.

Abstract: A low-microcracked porous cordierite honeycomb ceramic particulate filter having a high strength in combination with a very low pressure drop, a very high filtration efficiency, and a high thermal shock resistance. Little or no microcracking, a fine median pore diameter, and a narrow pore size distribution contribute to high strength. A thin channel wall, high wall permeability, and narrow pore size distribution, contribute to low pressure drop. A fine pore diameter and narrow pore size distribution with a minimum of coarse pores contribute to high filtration efficiency. A high strain tolerance, MOR/E, contributes to high thermal shock resistance. Particulate filters disclosed herein can be useful as a hot gas particulate filter, and particularly as an internal combustion engine exhaust gas particulate filter, such as an exhaust gas filter for a gasoline direct injection engine.

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: Spherical and rod-shaped proppants and anti-flowback agents made from sillimanite minerals possess high strength and high conductivity. The sillimanite minerals may be selected from the group consisting of kyanite, sillimanite, and andalusite and may be used alone or in combination with other materials, such as bauxite, kaolin, meta-kaolin, pure or technical grade alumina (about 98%-99.9% alumina by weight), alumina-containing slag, zirconia, silica, iron, alkali elements (such as calcium, magnesium, and sodium), and virtually any other mineral containing alumina. The starting material may optionally be milled to achieve better compacity and crush resistance in the final proppant or anti-flowback agent. A fracturing fluid may comprise the rods or spheres alone, or in combination with each other or other proppants or anti-flowback agents of different shapes.

Abstract: A ceramic body, a ceramic catalyst body, a ceramic catalyst body and related manufacturing methods are disclosed wherein a cordierite porous base material has a surface, formed with acicular particles made of a component different from that of cordierite porous base material, which has an increased specific surface area with high resistance to a sintering effect. The ceramic body is manufactured by preparing a slurry containing an acicular particle source material, preparing a porous base material, applying the slurry onto a surface of the porous base material and firing the porous base material, whose surface is coated with the slurry, to cause acicular particles to develop on the surface of the porous base material. A part of or a whole of surfaces of the acicular particles is coated with a constituent element different from that of the acicular particles.

Abstract: A typically monolithic particulate filter including a highly porous block made primarily of intertangled polycrystalline mullite fibers, a set of channels formed through the block, and a set of porous walls separating adjacent channels. Exhaust gas is flowed through the channels and interacts with the walls such that particulate matter carried in the exhaust gas, such as soot particles, is screened out by porous fibrous mullite walls.

Abstract: A method of forming a porous mullite composition of acicular mullite grains having improved properties is described, where the mullite is formed at some time in the presence of a fluorine containing gas. For example, it has been discovered that improved properties may result from heating the mullite to a high temperature in an atmosphere selected from the group consisting of water vapor, oxygen, an inert gas or mixtures thereof or forming the mullite composition from precursors having an Al/Si ratio of at most 2.95.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method of calcining particulate material, such as kaolin. The method comprises providing a feed mixture comprising a particulate material, such as hydrous kaolin, wherein at least a portion of the particulate feed is coated with a liquid fuel. The method further comprises heating the particulate feed mixture to calcine the particulate feed and burn the liquid fuel to form a calcined product. The liquid fuel coating can act as a secondary, indirect heat source for calcining. The overall calcining temperatures and/or times can be reduced as a result of adding the liquid fuel.

Abstract: The present invention provides ceramic films and ceramic membranes of high stability, high permeability, and large surface area, the films and membranes comprising mullite having whisker (i.e. needle-like) crystal morphology. The invention also discloses environmentally friendly methods of producing such films and membranes. The applications include, for example, membrane ultra-filtration of gas or liquid fluids, biological assays, cell culture surfaces and catalytic coatings on automotive honeycomb substrates.

Abstract: A typically monolithic particulate filter including a highly porous block made primarily of intertangled polycrystalline mullite fibers, a set of channels formed through the block, and a set of porous walls separating adjacent channels. Exhaust gas is flowed through the channels and interacts with the walls such that particulate matter carried in the exhaust gas, such as soot particles, is screened out by porous fibrous mullite walls.

Abstract: It is to provide a catalyst carrier having large pore size and porosity and a small pressure loss. The catalyst carrier is characterized by covering a surface of each particle in a silicon-containing ceramic carrier with alumina thin film, and is produced by immersing a carrier having an oxide film of a silicide in its surface in a solution of aluminum containing metal compound, drying by heating, calcining, subjecting to an immersion treatment in hot water and thereafter firing.

Abstract: An acidic amorphous silica-alumina having large specific surface area and a large pore volume, a carrier complex and a hydrotreating catalyst containing said acidic amorphous silica-alumina, in particular a hydrocracking catalyst containing said acidic amorphous silica-alumina in combination with a modified zeolite-Y for treating petroleum hydrocarbon materials to produce middle distillates, and processes for the preparation thereof. Said amorphous silica-alumina has a SiO2 content of 10-50 wt %, a specific surface area of 300-600 m2/g, a pore volume of 0.8-1.5 ml/g and an IR acidity of 0.25-0.60 mmol/g. The catalyst according to the present invention shows a relatively high activity and mid-distillate selectivity and can be particularly used in hydrocracking process for producing mid-distillates in a higher yield.

Abstract: A mullite composition is comprised substantially of mullite grains that are essentially chemically bound wherein the composition has at least two adjoining regions that have substantially different microstructures. The composition may be produced by forming a mixture of one or more precursor compounds having the elements present in mullite; shaping the mixture into a porous green shape applying a nucleation control agent to a portion of the porous green shape and then heating the porous green shape under an atmosphere and to a temperature sufficient to form the mullite composition.

Abstract: A silicon-aluminum mixed oxide produced by flame hydrolysis and having a composition of from 1 to 99.999 wt. % Al2O3, the remainder being SiO2, which mixed oxide exhibits an amorphous structure in the X-ray diffraction pattern and consists of intergrown primary particles, and in these primary particles crystallites are present. These crystallites having sizes of between one and 200 namometers and the specific surface of the powder being between 5 and 300 m2/g. These products are produced by a process wherein silicon halide and aluminum halide are vaporized in a particular ratio to one another and are homogeneously mixed with air, oxygen and hydrogen in a mixing unit by means of any carrier gas, this mixture undergoes combustion in a burner of known construction and, after the separation of the solids from the vapour phase, any traces of halide possibly adhering to the product are separated off in a further processing step by means of moist air at elevated temperature.