Hollow-core articles and composite materials, methods of production and uses thereof

• US 9,878,951 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2014
• Issued: 01/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Solidia Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Solidia Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: McCandlish, Larry E., Narine, Orlando, Castoro, Daniel, Atakan, Vahit, Patten, Devin, Kuppler, John P.
• Primary Examiner(s): DEMUREN, BABAJIDE A
• Application Number:
  US14/506,079
• Publication Number:
  US 20160355439A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,215 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 11/245 Curing concrete articles B28B11/242 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 2003/203 for multi-channelled structures, e.g. honeycomb structures
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 3/20 wherein the material is extruded extrusion moulding of plastics B29C48/00
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/005 Inorganic fillers with a shape other than granular or fibrous carbon nanotubes C04B14/026
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/043 Alkaline-earth metal silicates, e.g. wollastonite
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2/12 in shaft or vertical furnaces shaft or vertical furnaces in general F27B1/00
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 20/023 Chemical treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 20/1066 Oxides, Hydroxides
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 20/107 Acids or salts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 20/12 Multiple coating or impregnating
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2103/0067 the ingredients being formed in situ by chemical reactions or conversion of one or more of the compounds of the composition
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2103/54 Pigments; Dyes
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2111/545 Artificial marble
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 28/10 Lime cements or magnesium oxide cements
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 28/188 the Ca-silicates being present in the starting mixture
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 32/02 with reinforcements contains no documents; reinforcing elements E04C5/00
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 40/0231 Carbon dioxide hardening
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 40/024 Steam hardening, e.g. in an autoclave
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 5/043 having elongated hollow cores
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 40/18 Carbon capture and storage [CCS]

Abstract

The invention provides novel articles of composite materials having hollow interior channels or passageways, or otherwise being hollowed out, and formulations and methods for their manufacture and uses. These hollow core objects are suitable for a variety of applications in construction, pavements and landscaping, and infrastructure.

Claims

1. An article of manufacture having a body prepared from a composite material,

wherein

the body comprises one or more interior ducts or channels exhibiting one or more surfaces capable of fluid communication with an exterior of the body, and

the composite material comprises:

a plurality of bonding elements, wherein each bonding element comprises;

a core comprising primarily calcium silicate, a silica-rich first or inner layer, and a calcium carbonate-rich second or outer layer; and

filler particles comprising coarse filler particles and/or fine filler particles, wherein the plurality of bonding elements and the plurality of filler particles together form one or more bonding matrices and the bonding elements and the filler particles are substantially evenly dispersed therein and bonded together,

wherein the article is a hollow core slab having a longitudinal dimension from about 4 m to about 250 m, a transverse dimension from about 0.5 m to about 2 m, and a thickness from about 10 cm to about 50 cm.

2. The article of claim 1, further comprising one or more reinforcement elements embedded in the body.

3. The article of claim 2, wherein the one or more reinforcement elements are bars, wires or cables.

4. The article of claim 2, wherein the one or more reinforcement bars are made of iron, steel, polymeric materials, glass, or a combination thereof.

5. The article of claim 1, wherein the one or more reinforcement elements are pre-stressed.

6. The article of claim 1, wherein the plurality of bonding elements have a median particle size in the range from about 5 μ

m to about 100 μ

m.

7. The article of claim 1, wherein the plurality of bonding elements are chemically transformed from ground calcium silicate, comprising one or more of natural or synthetic wollastonite, pseudo-wollastonite, rankinite, gehlenite, belite, alite and amorphous phase.

8. The article of claim 7, wherein the plurality of bonding elements are prepared by a chemical transformation from ground calcium silicate by reacting it with CO₂ via a controlled hydrothermal liquid phase sintering process.

9. The article of claim 7, wherein the plurality of bonding elements are chemically transformed from a precursor calcium silicate other than synthetic wollastonite or pseudo-wollastonite.

10. The article of claim 1, wherein the weight ratio of bonding elements:

filler particles is about 1;

5.

11. The article of claim 1, having water absorption of less than about 10%.

12. The article of claim 1, wherein the body is elongated in shape comprising four or more longitudinally disposed ducts or channels.