Innovative Construction and Building Materials

Sri International

Ecorithm, Inc.

Nippon Synthetic Chemical Company

Saint-gobain Placo

Christopher D Tagge

David S Soane

Robert B Wilson

Jacob Freas Pollock

Lennard F Torres

Ken Saito

Seajin Oh

Albert S Hirschon

Dale W Ploeger

Igor Mezic

Hiroyuki Ono

Certain embodiments relate to systems and methods for monitoring and improving the efficiency by which systems maintain building environments. A building management system may analyze values observed by sensors and other devices and determine whether the observed values fall within a range. If the observed values do not fall within the range and the building's control system has not taken appropriate action to ensure that the observed values do fall within the range, the building may generate a floor plan specifying where the failure occurred. A building ranking system may rank a plurality of buildings based upon their relative efficiency. The building ranking system may determine each building's efficiency based on a set of parameters related to the building's energy usage that are normalized for weather, occupancy, and other external parameters.

Building analysis systems and methods

A method and composition for polymer-reinforced composite cementitious construction materials is described. In one embodiment, a crosslinking component is mixed with a high molecular weight strengthening component and an inorganic cementitious material. The addition of the mixture to water causes a crosslinked molecular network to form within the hydrated, composite cementitious construction material. Both enhanced flexural strength and improved nail-pull resistance are shown, allowing a reduction in weight of the composite cementitious construction material compared to cementitious construction materials made according to other known methods.

Method and composition for polymer-reinforced composite cementitious construction material

An in situ ionic interaction between two additives, one a cationic strength enhancing additive and one an anionic crosslinking additive, is used to improve the mechanical properties of an article formed from a composite material. The composite has a discrete phase bound together with a film of the additives, such as gypsum crystals bound together by a film of substituted starch or cellulose ether.

Inorganic matrix composite reinforced by ionically crosslinked polymer

An inorganic-organic composite comprises an inorganic phase, such as gypsum crystals, and a film forming organic phase. The film forming organic phase is selected from substituted starches having a degree of polymerization; degree of substitution and viscosity such that the substituted starches are insoluble in water during mixing but dissolve at a higher processing temperature during forming, setting or drying of the composite. Thus, excessive migration of the substitute starch is prevented and the composite is substantially strengthened.

Organic-inorganic composite

A method is provided for the polymerization of olefins substituted with a functional group using a transition metal catalyst that, by virtue of one or more stabilizing groups incorporated within the catalyst structure, 'fixes' the stereoconfiguration of each olefinic monomer relative to the transition metal complex during each successive reaction in the polymerization process. The invention substantially reduces the likelihood of olefin rearrangement at the active site of the catalyst during polymerization. In one particular embodiment, the functional group is a polar, electron-donating group and the stabilizing group is a Lewis acid substituent; examples of polymers that can be prepared with such a system include poly(vinyl acetate), poly(vinyl alcohol), and poly(vinyl ethers). Novel complexes and catalyst systems useful in the polymerization method are also provided.

Transition metal complexes in the controlled synthesis of polyolefins substituted with functional groups

Workstation, apparatuses and methods for the high-throughput synthesis, screening and/or characterization of combinatorial libraries. The invention relates to an array, which permits various high-throughput methods for synthesis, screening and/or characterization in the same array, without requiring sample transfer from the array. In a preferred embodiment, the synthesis, screening, and/or characterization steps are carried out in a highly parallel fashion, where more than one compound is synthesized, screened, and/or characterized at the same time. The invention may be practiced at the microscale. The array may comprise thermal channels, for regulating the temperature of the wells in the array. The wells of the array may comprise a membrane, which is used in various screening and characterization methods. The invention also relates to a covered array, comprising the array and an array cover, as well as an apparatus comprising the array, which comprises the array, an array cover and a stage. The array, array cover, and the stage may be modified as required for a variety of synthesis and/or analysis techniques. The array is easily interchangeable between different analytical instruments, and in an embodiment, the invention relates to an automated workstation, where the array is transferred between different synthesis, screening, and characterization stations. The invention also relates to a variety of methods for synthesis, screening, and characterization, which are adapted for combinatorial chemistry. Any of the embodiments of the invention may be used either alone or taken in various combinations.

Reaction calorimeter and differential scanning calorimeter for the high-throughput synthesis, screening and characterization of combinatorial libraries

Construction materials containing surface modified reinforcements are used to fabricate composite structures. The composite structures comprise a matrix material and surface modified reinforcements, such as fibers and particulates. The surface modifier may be applied to a fiber surface using conventional sizing equipment and provides a durable film on the fiber. The surface modifier may be selected to have multifunctional properties, for example, increasing fiber pull-out strength, imparting bio-active properties, improving moisture resistance and other desirable properties to the composite structure.

Construction materials containing surface modified fibers

Novel compounds are provided that are useful as catalysts, particularly in the polymerization of addition polymerizable monomers such as olefinic or vinyl monomers. The compounds are multinuclear complexes of transition metals coordinated to at least one unsaturated nitrogenous ligand. Catalyst systems containing the novel compounds in combination with a catalyst activator are provided as well, as are methods of using the novel compounds in the preparation of polyolefins.

Multinuclear transition metal catalysts for preparation of multimodal polymer compositions

A gypsum-based composite structure is prepared from a slurry comprising a mixture of calcium sulfate hemihydrate, a cellulose ether additive other than CMC and an amount of water that is sufficient to form a slurry. The calcium sulfate hemihydrate is hydrated by the water forming a wallboard core reinforced by the cellulose ether additive. The concentration, viscosity grade and degree of substitution of the cellulose ether are selected to give the composite improved nail pull resistance and greater flexural strength.

Gypsum-based composite materials reinforced by cellulose ethers

The present invention provides an anti-pathogenic air filtration medium comprising a fibrous substrate whose fibers are coated with coating comprising a polymer. The coating provides an environment that is destructive to airborne pathogens. In particular, the filter medium can be used in a building air handling system that both filters the air and eliminates pathogens. The filter medium also can be used to create a new bio-protective gas mask that not only offers protection against chemical warfare agents, but also provides protection against biological pathogens.

Anti-pathogenic air filtration media and air handling devices having protective capabilities against infectious airborne mircoorganisms

A composite structure comprises an inorganic discrete phase, an organic matrix phase and an interfacial layer comprising both the inorganic and organic phases. In one process, the inorganic discrete phase is partially dissolved and the precipitated by a chemical reaction forming an interfacial layer having a finite thickness and transitioning from 100% inorganic to 100% organic.

Mixed organic and inorganic composites with intermingled facial layers

Novel compounds are provided which are useful as catalysts, particularly in the polymerization of addition polymerizable monomers such as olefinic or vinyl monomers. The compounds are complexes of a mid-transition metal coordinated to at least two ligands, at least one of which is an unsaturated nitrogenous ligand. Depending on ligand substitution, stereospecific catalysts can be provided, including isospecific catalysts and syndiospecific catalysts. Catalyst systems containing the novel compounds in combination with a catalyst activator are provided as well, as are methods of using the novel compounds in the preparation of polyolefins. One embodiment of the present invention is a compound having the formula L[MQQ]Lin which M is Nb, Ta, Mo, W, Mn or Re, Qand Qare each a univalent substituent, and Land Lare ligands coordinated to M, wherein Lcontains a first coordinating nitrogen atom within a C&#x2550;N group, and a second coordinating atom that is either a second nitrogen atom, optionally present in a second C&#x2550;N group, or an oxygen, sulfur or phosphorus atom. The Lgroup contains a coordinating atom that is either a second nitrogen atom, optionally within a C&#x2550;N group, or a sulfur or phosphorus atom.

Complexes of mid-transition metals and unsaturated nitrogenous ligands as single-site catalysts

A reinforced wallboard core is prepared from a slurry comprising a mixture of &#x3b2;-calcium sulfate hemihydrate, a cellulose ether additive other than CMC and an amount of water that is sufficient to form a slurry and resulting in a wallboard density of less than 0.8 g/cc. The &#x3b2;-calcium sulfate hemihydrate is hydrated by the water forming a wallboard core reinforced by the cellulose ether additive. The cellulose ether, having a molecular weight of at least about 20,000 and a viscosity grade of at least about 100 cps, is selected to give the reinforced wallboard core improved nail pull resistance and greater flexural strength than unreinforced wallboard of the same density. The reinforced wallboard core may be used for reduced-paper wallboard and/or for lightweight wallboard, for example.

Reinforced wallboard

The present invention discloses a composition of matter for use in wallboard in the construction that has a morphology of pores and a network of interconnected inorganic particles that are coated with a thin layer of organic binder. The process used to produce the wallboard can use either hydrophobic or hydrophilic prepolymers or preferably both to create the desired network of coated inorganic particles. A preferred embodiment uses at least one hydrophobic constituent and a decomposition reaction that produces a gas to form one or more layers or a gradient of the morphology in one or more layers to create wallboard products with superior properties to those wallboard products now known.

Growing community of inventors

Emeryville, CA, United States of America

Christopher D Tagge