Method of producing solid articles of clay foam to be used as building material

Abstract: A method of producing foamed clay with optimum characteristics of porosity, mechanical resistance, high coefficients of reduced weight, and thermal and acoustic insulation, wherein a fluid mass consisting of baked clay is formed, into which compositions reacting therebetween are put so as to cause the homogeneous foaming of the whole clay mass.

Description: The present invention relates to a method of producing solid articles of clay foam to be used in building and products obtained therefrom. The need to lighten parts of buildings, such as main walls, curtain walls, partition walls and ceilings, and to give them the required insulating, deadening properties has brought to the manufacturing of hollow materials such as hollow clay tiles, hollow clay blocks, plaster board and the like that do not fully solve the problems. Such parts of buildings may also be made of synthetic foam materials such as polystyrene, polyurethane, etc. combining light weight and good deadening, insulating properties. The problem of inflammability of such materials has been recently solved so that they can presently be used in building as panels, especially covering panels. However, the problem of their poor mechanical resistance to compressive stress has not been solved so far and their use as carrying structure is excluded. In an attempt to foam materials inherently provided with mechanical strength, incombustibility, and easy mouldability such as clay, gases or substances developing gases have been put therein using raw clay as starting material. However, such attempts have not provided satisfactory results so far both as far as the moulding of a homogeneously foamed mass and mouldability and mechanical strength thereof is concerned. The Applicant of the present application dealt with such problem in a new fashion by using as starting material ground baked clay instead of raw clay mixed with a salt of silicic acids and particularly the sodium salt of silicic acids with the addition of additives capable of developing bubbles spread homogeneously in the mass of the material so that a good foaming of the mass with consequent hardening and solidification thereof is accomplished. The selected additives are hydrogen peroxide and formaldehyde, the latter being in a 10% to 50%, preferably 25%, water solution without methanol, hydrogen peroxide being 50 to 150 volumes, preferably 100 volumes. However, as the mentioned additives are very irritating and their reaction is rather strong, the Applicant provided a method in which they are made to react only within a final sealed reactor. As to prior art reference is made to SU 105 89 22, Derwent abstract, which document discloses the foaming agent used in accordance with this process and to US-A-4 710 309 disclosing a light weight material comprising light weight fibres, refracted day and water-glass. According to the invention ground baked clay is mixed with sodium silicate in water solution in a ratio of 50:50 by weight forming a rather fluid mass which is then divided into two equal masses located in first and second separated containers communicating with the above-mentioned final reactor. The method according to the invention includes the following steps in details: a) mixing intimately ground baked clay and the water solution of sodium silicate in a 50:50 weight ratio; b) dividing the liquid mass obtained from step a) into two portions with the same weight and putting them into first and second containers; c) adding formaldehyde to the mass of ground baked clay-sodium silicate from the first container in an amount of 5 to 15% by weight, preferably 10%, and stirring strongly; d) adding 100 volumes hydrogen peroxide to the mass of ground baked clay-sodium silicate from the second container in an amount of 5 to 15% by weight, preferably 10%, and stirring strongly; e) sucking the two masses contained in the first and second containers into a sealed vacuum reactor, and stirring intimately. The reaction between formaldehyde and hydrogen peroxide takes place in the reactor within the obtained mixed mass with development of molecular oxygen, formic acid, and carbonic acid. Accordingly, a neutralization of Na 2 O is accomplished and sodium silicate is caused to harden and gel so as to bind the mass with the result of having a porous, solid, mechanically resisting mass. The obtained mass will then be formed, as known, in the desired articles that will also have an inherently porous, solid, mechanically resisting, insulating, deadening structure. Anionic or non-ionic surface-active agents can also be added to the mass either in the first or second container in the amount of 0.1 to 10% by weight, preferably 1%, to promote the formation of cells. Finally, in order to improve the water tightness of the final product polysiloxanes are added in an amount of 0.1 to 10%, preferably 2%, also in this case to the second or first container to make the articles waterproof. The obtained solid, porous mass is then caused to dry in moulds to provide the final products.

Claims: A method of providing solid articles of clay foam to be used in building, including the steps of: a) baking and grinding clay with the desired granulometry; b) preparing a water solution of a silicic salt of sodium; c) mixing intimately ground baked clay and said water solution in a 50:50 weight ratio so as to obtain a fluid mass; d) dividing the liquid mass obtained into two like portions and putting them into first and second containers, both communicating with a final sealed vacuum reactor; e) adding formaldehyde without methanol to the fluid mass contained in one of said first and second containers in an amount of 5 to 15% by weight with respect to said mass, and stirring intimately; f) adding hydrogen peroxide to the fluid mass contained in the other of said first or second container in an amount of 5 to 15% by weight, and stirring intimately; g) sucking said fluid mass contained in said first and second containers into said sealed vacuum reactor, and stirring intimately. h) extracting the resulting reaction mass contained in said final reactor and moulding it to the final products in suitable moulds. The method according to claim 1, wherein said formaldehyde is added in an amount of 10% by weight in a water solution of 10 to 50%, preferably 25%. The method according to claim 1, wherein said hydrogen peroxide is added in an amount of 10% by weight under a concentration of 100 to 150 volumes, preferably 100 volumes. The method according to claims 1 to 3, wherein an anionic surface-active agent is added to the mass contained in one of said first and second containers in the amount of 0.1 to 10% by weight, preferably 1%. The method according to claims 1 to 3, wherein a non-ionic surface-active agent is added to the mass contained in one of said first and second containers in the amount of 0.1 to 10% by weight, preferably 1%. The method according to claims 1 to 3, wherein polysiloxanes are added to the mass contained in one of said first and second containers in the amount of 0.1 to 10% by weight, preferably 2%. The method according to claims 1 to 6, including the further step of extracting the resulting foamed mass and moulding it in moulds. The method according to claims 1, wherein said silicic salt is sodium silicate.

Inventors: TABARELLI DE FATIS STEFANO, TABARELLI DE FATIS, STEFANO
Applicants: TABARELLI DE FATIS STEFANO, TABARELLI DE FATIS, STEFANO
Application year: 2000
Main classification: C04B28
IPC codes: C04B28