United States Gypsum Company

Chris C Lee

James Wittbold

Alfred C Li

Weixin David Song

Cesar Chan

William Rago

Yijun Sang

David R Blackburn

Ronald Edward Schenck

Ronald E Schenck

Michael Patrick Shake

Curt Loring

Chris Lee Nelson

Qingxia Liu

Christopher Robert Nelson

Brent E Groza

Yanfei Peng

Jeffrey William Donelan

Runhai Lu

Bruce Lynn Petersen

Richard James Haszel

Sharon Louise Tracy

John L Fall

Curtis B Loring

Ashish Dubey

Serguei Zelepouga

Naveen Punati

Jenner Omodt

Luis Carrazco

Bill Rago

Steven Richmond

James R Wittbold

David R Backburn

Richard J Haszel

Brent Groza

Weixin D Song

William J Rago

Disclosed are product (e.g., panels), slurry, and methods relating to a pregelatinized starch having a mid-range viscosity (i.e., from about 20 centipoise to about 700 centipoise), and an extruded pregelatinized starch.

Pregelatinized starch with mid-range viscosity, and product, slurry and methods related thereto

Disclosed are methods relating to an extruded pregelatinized, partially hydrolyzed starch prepared by mixing at least water, non-pregelatinized starch, and acid to form a starch precursor. The acid can be a weak acid that substantially avoids chelating calcium ions or a strong acid in a small amount. In the method, pregelatinization and acid-modification of the starch precursor occurs in one step in an extruder. Also disclosed are methods of preparing board using the starch prepared according to the methods, as well as starches and boards prepared by various methods of the invention.

Method of preparing pregelatinized, partially hydrolyzed starch and related methods and products

Embodiments of a system and a method for manufacturing a cementitious panel can be used to produce a cementitious panel having a multi-layer air/water barrier membrane assembly. The layers of the membrane can be built up via a series of applicator stations applying a fluid composition using roll coating, for example. Between applicator stations the applied layer of fluid composition can be subjected to drying conditions via infrared heating. To help protect from the deleterious effects of infrared heating, the cementitious panel can be conveyed through a cooling tunnel after each drying section.

Exterior cementitious panel with multi-layer air/water barrier membrane assembly and system and method for manufacturing same

Disclosed are hydrophobic finish compositions and cementitious articles made with the hydrophobic finish compositions. In some embodiments, the article is a waterproof gypsum panel surface reinforced with inorganic mineral fibers that face a flexible and hydrophobic cementitious finish possessing beneficial waterproofing properties. These waterproof gypsum panels have many uses, such as, tile backer board in wet or dry areas of buildings, exterior weather barrier panel for use as exterior sheathing, interior wall and ceiling, and roof cover board having water durability and low surface absorption. The flexible and hydrophobic cementitious finish can include fly ash, film-forming polymer, preferably silane compound (e.g., alkyl alkoxysilane), an extended flow time retention agent including either one or more carboxylic acids, salts of carboxylic acids, or mixtures thereof, and other optional additives. Preferably a pre-coated non-woven glass fiber mat is employed to provide the inorganic mineral fibers for the surface reinforcement.

Hydrophobic finish compositions with extended flow time retention and building products made thereof

A multi-piece mold for use in a method for making a slurry distributor includes a plurality of mold segments adapted to be removably secured together. The mold segments are configured such that, when the mold segments are assembled together, the assembled mold segments define a substantially continuous exterior surface adapted to be a negative image of an interior flow region of a slurry distributor molded thereupon. Each mold segment has a maximum cross-sectional area in a plane substantially transverse to a direction of movement of the mold segment along a removal path out of a respective opening of the molded slurry distributor. The maximum cross-sectional area of each mold segment is up to about 150% of the smallest area of the interior flow region of the molded slurry distributor through which the mold segment traverses when moving along the respective removal path.

Multi-piece mold and method of making slurry distributor

A flow splitter can include an inlet conduit and first and second outlet conduits separated by a junction portion. The inlet conduit can include an inlet end and a junction end. The inlet conduit is disposed along a main flow axis extending between the inlet end and the junction end. The inlet end defines an inlet opening. The junction end defines first and second junction openings. The first junction opening is disposed in spaced relationship to the second junction opening. The junction portion is disposed at the junction end of the inlet conduit between the first and second junction openings. The junction portion includes a substantially planar wall region that is substantially perpendicular to the main flow axis. The flow splitter can be placed in fluid communication with a cementitious slurry mixer and a slurry distributor with the flow splitter disposed therebetween.

Flow splitter for slurry distribution system

A slurry distribution system can include a feed conduit and a distribution conduit in fluid communication therewith. The feed conduit can include a first feed inlet and a second feed inlet disposed in spaced relationship thereto. The distribution conduit can extend generally along a longitudinal axis and include an entry portion and a distribution outlet in fluid communication therewith. The entry portion is in fluid communication with the first and second feed inlets of the feed conduit. The distribution outlet extends a predetermined distance along a transverse axis, which is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The slurry distribution system can be placed in fluid communication with a gypsum slurry mixer adapted to agitate water and calcined gypsum to form an aqueous calcined gypsum slurry.

Slurry distributor, system and method for using same

A slurry distributor includes a feed conduit and a distribution conduit in fluid communication therewith. The feed conduit includes an entry segment with a feed inlet and a feed entry outlet in fluid communication therewith and extending along a first feed flow axis. The feed conduit includes a shaped duct having a bulb portion in fluid communication with the feed entry outlet. The feed conduit includes a transition segment in fluid communication with the bulb portion and extending along a second feed flow axis in non-parallel relationship with the first feed flow axis. The bulb portion has an area of expansion with a cross-sectional flow area that is greater than a cross-sectional flow area of an adjacent area upstream from the area of expansion. The shaped duct has a convex interior surface in confronting relationship with the feed entry outlet of the entry segment.

Slurry distributor, system, and method for using same

A cementitious slurry mixing and dispensing system includes a mixer, a discharge conduit, and a pulser assembly. The discharge conduit is in fluid communication with the mixer. The pulser assembly is adapted to periodically compress a portion of the discharge conduit. The pulser assembly can include a compression member adapted to contactingly engage the portion of the discharge conduit and a drive mechanism adapted to selectively move the compression member into compressing engagement with the discharge conduit such that the part of the interior wall surface underlying the compressed portion is flexed.

Cementitious slurry mixing and dispensing system with pulser assembly and method for using same

A slurry distributor can include a feed conduit and a distribution conduit in fluid communication therewith. The feed conduit can include a first and second feed inlets disposed in spaced relationship to each other. The distribution conduit can extend generally along a longitudinal axis and include an entry portion and a distribution outlet in fluid communication therewith. The entry portion is in fluid communication with the first and second feed inlets of the feed conduit. The distribution outlet extends a predetermined distance along a transverse axis. The first and second feed inlets each has an opening with a cross-sectional area. The entry portion of the distribution conduit has an opening with a cross-sectional area which is greater than the sum of the cross-sectional areas of the openings of the first and second feed inlets. The slurry distributor can be placed in fluid communication with a gypsum slurry mixer.

A discharge gate is provided for a gypsum slurry mixer, and includes a lower member having an inlet opening configured for receiving the slurry, and an outlet opening configured for delivering the slurry to a dispensing device. An upper member is attached to the lower member, at least one of the upper and lower members having at least one opening for accommodating insertion of an injection port for introducing the foam to the slurry. A cavity is configured for mixing the foam and slurry, and is defined by inner surfaces of the lower member and the upper member.

Slurry mixer gate with enhanced flow and foaming geometry

A multi-leg discharge boot can include an inlet conduit and first and second outlet conduits separated by a junction portion. The inlet conduit includes an entry segment, a transition segment and a heel portion disposed therebetween. The inlet conduit can include an inlet end and a junction end. A junction portion is disposed at the junction end of the inlet conduit between first and second junction openings. The junction portion includes a substantially planar wall region that is substantially perpendicular to a main flow discharge axis.

Multiple-leg discharge boot for slurry distribution

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Deerfield, IL, United States of America

Chris C Lee