An insulated exhaust port liner of a cylinder head assembly for fluidly connecting to an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle includes a sealing layer. The sealing layer has a first surface defining a passage for fluidly connecting to the internal combustion engine and receiving exhaust gas. The sealing layer further includes a second surface opposite to the first surface. The liner further includes a thermal barrier layer coated onto the second surface of the sealing layer. The thermal barrier layer is a porous non-woven material for supporting the sealing layer on the cylinder head and reducing a transfer of heat from the sealing layer to the cylinder head.

The invention relates to processes for making improved ultra-high performance concrete with plasma-treated inclusions and articles made from the same. The invention includes a process for producing silicon carbide and multiwalled carbon nanotubes by heating agricultural waste husks in an inert atmosphere to a temperature higher than 1300 degrees C. to obtain a mixture containing silicon carbide and MWCNTs, and treating the mixture to extract the silicon carbide and MWCNTs for use as microinclusions in ultra high performance concrete.

The invention relates to a panel and a method for producing a panel. The panel is in particular a floor, wall or ceiling panel, and comprises at least one core layer, the core layer comprising an upper core surface and a lower core surface and at least one pair of opposite side edges; wherein the core layer comprises magnesium oxide cement; wherein the core has a density which is substantially homogenous over its entire volume, and wherein at least one decorative top layer is attached to an upper core surface of the core layer.

Disclosed is a draining composition for a light-traffic road pavement, including: (a) a first granular layer having a percentage of communicating voids ranging 25-50%, including a binder and a granular mixture of which at least 80% by weight, relative to the total weight of the granular mixture, has a granular size distribution range 4-20 mm, the layer having a thickness suitable for the pavement's mechanical strength; (b) a second granular layer having main lower and upper surfaces, the main lower surface resting directly on the first granular matrix and the main upper surface in direct contact with the air, the second granular layer being a granular mixture not bound by a binder and of which at least 80% by weight, relative to the total weight of the granular mixture, has a granular size distribution range 2-14 mm, the second granular layer having a thickness appropriate for water accumulation.

A full-depth ultra-thin long-life pavement structure and a construction method thereof are disclosured. The pavement structure is disposed on a subgrade, and the pavement includes from bottom to top: a composite joint layer, a fatigue-resistant layer, a load-bearing layer, a high-strength bonding layer and a skid-resistant wearing layer; the composite joint layer comprises a bottom layer and an upper layer, the bottom layer is a graded gravel layer, and the upper layer is an open-graded large-particle-size water-permeable polyurethane and gravel mixture layer; the fatigue-resistant layer is paved by a skeleton-interlocking structural polyurethane mixture; the load-bearing layer is paved by a suspended-dense typed polyurethane mixture; the high-strength bonding layer is formed by curing a polyurethane-based composite material; the skid-resistant wearing layer is paved by a high-viscosity and high-elasticity modified asphalt mixture.

A fiber cement material formulation comprising a cementitious binder, a siliceous material, fiber, alumina trihydrate and a bifunctional low density additive wherein the bifunctional low density additive comprises any one or more of diatomaceous earth, recycled autoclave fiber cement dust or cellulose dust. The fiber cement material formulation optionally further comprises a secondary low density additive which may be perlite. In some embodiments, a fiber cement article manufactured from the fiber cement material formulation comprises a density of approximately 1.1 g/cm.sup.3 or below.

The invention is a system and method for building a polar zonohedron structure from precast cement panels. The building system may include a plurality of panels configured to register with each other. Each panel includes a precast cement base with side walls enclosing a cavity within the precast cement base. The panels include at least one ridge protruding from at least one surface of a side wall of the panel and at least one aperture on at least one surface of a side wall of the panel. Each ridge is preferable configured to interlock with each aperture; in his way, the panels interlock with each other to form the polar zonohedron structure.

A structure for protecting a substrate. The structure comprises an inner tie coat layer which can bond to the substrate, a geopolymer foam layer, and an outer protective layer. The geopolymer foam layer is the reaction product of a mixture comprising an aluminosilicate source, an alkali activator, reinforcing fibres, and a plurality of microparticles.

A composition comprising thermoset polymer, shape memory polymer to facilitate macro scale damage closure, and methods for molecular scale healing are provided. The composition can resolve structural defects by a bio-mimetic close-then heal process. In use, the shape memory polymer can provide molecular scale healing in a structural defect. The methods for molecular scale healing can include heating a composition including a thermoplastic such as fibers, particles or spheres to a level at or above the thermoplastic's melting point, then cooling of the composition below the melting temperature of the thermoplastic. The compositions have the ability to close macroscopic defects repeatedly even if another wound/damage occurs in a previously healed/repaired area.

Provided are separators for use in an electrochemical cell comprising (a) an inorganic oxide and (b) an organic polymer, wherein the inorganic oxide comprises organic substituents. Also provided are electrochemical cells comprising such separators.