Shaped articles are produced from compositions of sulfur and a particulate inorganic material, at least 10% by weight of the particulate inorganic material being fly ash. The initial compositions are uniform dry blends, and the finished products are formed by converting the sulfur of the composition to molten form and then cooling while, as in casting, the molten material is confined in the desired shape. Use of fly ash provides articles having a hardness more than twice that of sulfur alone and a compressive strength approaching three times that of a typical aged poured concrete.
Improved cement and concrete products comprising a thermoplastic cement product made of 5-35% of inorganic materials containing no carbonaceous material which have been pulverized to approximately 10 micron size and combined at a temperature of about 300.degree. F. with 65-95% of molten sulphur to form a colloidal mass of sulphur with partly amorphous particles.
The soil conditioner of this invention is basically composed of 4 to 4.75 parts by weight of coal ash, 4 to 4.75 parts by weight of slag, and 0.5 to 2 parts by weight of zeolite, and is useful for the overall improvement of soil including not only chemical and physical conditioning of the soil but also improvement of its ecological system. In addition to the aforesaid ingredients, this soil conditioner may contain a microorganism having the function of competing with the harmful microorganisms present in the soil or utilizing them as nutrient sources to eliminate the detrimental effects thereof, thereby inducing the propagation of useful microorganisms in the rhizosphere of the desired crop and promoting the growth of the crop, as well as 0.2 to 2% by weight of molasses based on the total weight of the coal ash, slag and zeolite.
A ceramic material made from raw coal fly ash or raw municipal solid waste fly ash and (1) sodium tetraborate or (2) a mixture of sodium tetraborate and a calcium containing material that is triple superphosphate, lime, dolomitic lime, or mixtures thereof.
Novel sulphur cements and concretes are provided. They contain, in addition to the sulphur, a particularly recited olefinic hydrocarbon polymer material, either added as such or prereacted with sulphur, as a chemical stabilizer, and a particularly recited particulate viscosity increasing, surface active, stabilizer, e.g. fly ash. Novel sulphur concretes are provided made from such sulphur cement and conventional natural or manufactured aggregates.
An apparatus for manufacturing molded materials solidified by sulfur includes an apparatus for bringing the water content of a solid raw material to be mixed with sulfur, such as slag and dust resulting from steel-making, to 3% by weight or below, an apparatus for heating and kneading the mixture of raw materials including molten sulfur at 119 to 159.degree. C., to cause the sulfur to penetrate into pore spaces on the solid raw material, thereby preparing a fluid kneaded mixture, and an apparatus for molding the mixture into a prescribed shape. Utilizing the apparatus, slag and dust resulting from steel-making, etc. is solidified with a melted sulfur thereby, enabling solidified and molded materials to be produced industrially, while preventing the generation of sulfurous acid gas. The materials' performance, such as physical strength and quality, are constant and high, and harmful heavy metals or the like will not ooze out of the materials.
