Lightweight compositions and articles containing such

Abstract

A lightweight cementitious composition containing from 22 to 90 volume percent of a cement composition and from 10 to 78 volume percent of particles having an average particle diameter of from 0.2 mm to 8 mm, a bulk density of from 0.03 g/cc to 0.64 g/cc, an aspect ratio of from 1 to 3, where after the lightweight cementitious composition is set it has a compressive strength of at least 1700 psi as tested according to ASTM C39. The cementitious composition can be used to make concrete masonry units, construction panels, road beds and other articles and can be included as a layer on wall panels and floor panels and can be used in insulated concrete forms. Aspects of the lightweight cementitious composition can be used to make lightweight structural units.

1 - 21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . A composite building panel comprising:
 a central body, substantially parallelepipedic in shape, comprised of an expanded polymer matrix, having opposite faces, a top surface, and an opposing bottom surface;   at least one embedded framing studs longitudinally extending across the central body between said opposite faces, having a first end embedded in the expanded polymer matrix, a second end extending away from the bottom surface of the central body, and one or more expansion holes located in the embedded stud between the first end of the embedded stud and the bottom surface of the central body, wherein, the central body comprises a polymer matrix that expands through the expansion holes; and   a concrete layer comprising a lightweight cementitious composition covering at least a portion of the top surface and/or bottom surface;   wherein the lightweight cementitious composition comprises   from 22 to 90 volume percent of a cement composition, and   from 10 to 78 volume percent of expandable polymer particles having an average particle size of from 0.2 mm to 3 mm, a bulk density of from 0.008 g/cc to 0.56 g/cc, and an aspect ratio of from 1 to 3;   wherein after the concrete composition is set, has a compressive strength of at least 1700 psi as tested according to ASTM C39 after seven days.   
     
     
         23 - 32 . (canceled) 
     
     
         33 . The composite building panel according to  claim 22 , wherein the expandable polymer particles have a substantially continuous outer layer. 
     
     
         34 . The composite building panel according to  claim 22 , wherein the expandable polymer particles comprise expanded polymer particles having an inner cell wall thickness of at least at least 0.15 μm. 
     
     
         35 . The composite building panel according to  claim 22 , wherein the expandable polymer particles comprise one or more polymers selected from the group consisting of homopolymers of vinyl aromatic monomers; copolymers of at least one vinyl aromatic monomer with one or more of divinylbenzene, conjugated dienes, alkyl methacrylates, alkyl acrylates, acrylonitrile, and/or maleic anhydride; polyolefins; polycarbonates; polyesters; polyamides; natural rubbers; synthetic rubbers; and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         36 . The composite building panel according to  claim 22 , wherein the cement comprises one or more materials selected from the group consisting of Portland cements, pozzolana cements, gypsum cements, gypsum compositions, aluminous cements, magnesia cements, silica cements, slag cements, Type I cement, Type IA cement, Type II cement, Type IIA cement, Type III cement, Type IIIA cement, Type IV cement and Type V cement. 
     
     
         37 . The composite building panel according to  claim 22 , wherein the concrete composition comprises one or more materials selected from the group consisting of sand, coarse aggregate, plasticizers and fibers. 
     
     
         38 . The composite building panel according to  claim 37 , wherein the fibers are selected from the group consisting of glass fibers, silicon carbide, aramid fibers, polyester, carbon fibers, composite fibers, fiberglass, combinations thereof, fabric containing said fibers, and fabric containing combinations of said fibers. 
     
     
         39 . The composite building panel according to  claim 22 , wherein the concrete composition has a density of from about 40 to about 130 lb./ft 3 . 
     
     
         40 . The composite building panel according to  claim 22 , wherein the central body comprises a male end and a female end. 
     
     
         41 . The composite building panel according to  claim 22 , wherein the reinforcing embedded members are longitudinally extending within the central body along substantially the entire length thereof. 
     
     
         42 . The composite building panel according to  claim 22 , wherein the reinforcing embedded members have a thickness of form 0.4 to 10 mm. 
     
     
         43 . The composite building panel according to  claim 22  comprising two or more reinforcing embedded members, wherein the distance between the reinforcing embedded members is from 10 cm to 110 cm. 
     
     
         44 . The composite building panel according to  claim 22 , wherein the expanded polymer matrix comprises polystyrene. 
     
     
         45 . The composite building panel according to  claim 39 , wherein the male end of the central body comprises a tongue edge and the female end of the central body comprises a female groove edge that facilitates a tongue and groove union between a first central body and a second central body to form one or more combined composite building panels, wherein the first and second concrete layers are continuous over at least a portion of the top surface and bottom surface. 
     
     
         46 . The composite building panel according to  claim 22 , wherein the central body has a thickness measured as the distance between the first surface and the second surface of from 2 cm to 50 cm. 
     
     
         47 . The composite building panel according to  claim 22 , wherein the central body comprises openings extending along the length of the central body. 
     
     
         48 . The composite building panel according to  claim 47 , wherein the openings have a cross-sectional shape selected from the group consisting of round, oval, elliptical, square, rectangular, triangular, hexagonal and octagonal and a cross-sectional area of from 1 cm 2  to 130 cm 2 . 
     
     
         49 . The composite building panel according to  claim 22 , wherein the polymer matrix comprises carbon black, graphite or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         50 . The composite building panel according to  claim 22 , wherein the embedded framing studs are made of a material selected from the group consisting of metals, construction grade plastics, composite materials, ceramics, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         51 . The composite building panel according to  claim 50 , wherein the metals are selected from the group consisting of aluminum, steel, stainless steel, tungsten, molybdenum, iron and alloys and combinations of such metals. 
     
     
         52 . The composite building panel according to  claim 50 , wherein the construction grade plastics are selected from the group consisting of reinforced thermoplastics and reinforced thermoset resins. 
     
     
         53 . The composite building panel according to  claim 52 , wherein the thermoplastics are selected from the group consisting of homopolymers and copolymers of styrene, homopolymers and copolymers of C 2  to C 20  olefins, C 4  to C 20  dienes, polyesters, polyamides, homopolymers and copolymers of C 2  to O 20  (meth)acrylate esters, polyetherimides, polycarbonates, polyphenylethers, polyvinylchlorides, polyurethanes, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         54 . The composite building panel according to  claim 52 , wherein the thermoset resins are selected from the group consisting of alkyd resins, epoxy resins, diallyl phthalate resins, melamine resins, phenolic resins, polyester resins, urethane resins, and urea crosslinked by reaction with diols, triols, polyols, or formaldehyde. 
     
     
         55 . The composite building panel according to  claim 52 , wherein the reinforcing embedded members comprise one or more other additives selected from the group consisting of ultraviolet (UV) stabilizers, heat stabilizers, flame retardants, biocides, and combinations thereof.