RU2143341C1 - Article manufactured of inorganic-filled material, method and device for its manufacture (modifications) - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: articles, methods and devices for manufacture of articles, methods and devices for manufacture of articles, including containers and packing materials, of hydraulically solidifying and inorganic-filled materials. SUBSTANCE: suitable compounds are prepared by mixing together hydraulically solidifying binder or organic binder, water and respective additives such as fillers, fibre and substances modifying the rheological properties, which impart predetermined properties so that the articles made of them have desirable operating characteristics. The desirable article can be moulded of the mixture with the use of the most different moulding processes, including cavity moulding, injection moulding, blow moulding, jiggering, moulding of wet sheets and moulding of dry sheets. Sheet moulding processes need that at first the mixture would be moulded in the form of a sheet, for example, with the use of an extruder or rollers, then the sheet is moulded and solidified. Printing identification signs or coating may be superimposed on the article. EFFECT: manufacture of articles similar in their properties to paper, board, polystyrene, plastic or metals at employment of traditional equipment, prevented pollution of environment, reduced power consumption. 152 cl, 58 dwg, 238 ex

Description

 The invention relates to methods and devices for the manufacture of industrial products, especially materials for containers and packaging, from hydraulically setting mixtures and compounds with high inorganic content. More specifically, the present invention relates to methods and devices for economical mass production of a variety of materials with hydraulic hardening or for containers or packaging with inorganic fillers, which are currently made from materials such as paper, cardboard, plastic, polystyrene, glass or metal. Products according to the present invention can optionally be designed so that they are light, flexible, inexpensive, waterproof, thin, have insulating properties and do not affect the environment.

 Packaging materials and containers.

 Improved handling and packaging methods currently allow the storage, packaging or transport of a wide variety of liquid and solid products, protecting them from the harmful effects. Packaging protects goods from environmental influences, from damage during transport, in particular from chemical and physical influences and damage. Packaging is also a means of disseminating information to the consumer, such as the place of production, contents, advertising, instructions, trademark, price. Packaging helps protect a wide variety of products from gases, moisture, light, microorganisms, parasites, physical shock, crushing loads, vibration, leaks or spills. In addition, food or drinks can be sold using specific packaging materials, such as disposable cups, plates, or boxes, such as “shells,” which are often used in the food industry to quickly produce hamburgers, sandwiches, and salads.

 Typically, most containers and cups, including disposable containers, are made of paper, cardboard, plastic, polystyrene, glass and metal. Each year, more than one hundred billion aluminum cans, billions of glass bottles and thousands of tons of paper and plastic are used to store and sell drinks, juices, and beer. And outside the beverage industry, packaging containers and, especially, disposable containers made from such materials are ubiquitous.

 In order to keep some products hot, polystyrene containers were used. Although paper or plastic-coated products can be equipped with special handles, polystyrene containers have remained the best disposable containers when insulation is needed due to their insulation ability, cost and durability.

 Despite more recent attempts to reduce the use of paper, paperboard, plastic, polystyrene and metals, they continue to be used because of their durability and the possibility of mass production. Moreover, for each intended use, such materials are relatively inexpensive, lightweight, moldable, strong, durable and resistant to destruction when used.

 Exposure to paper, plastics, glass and metals.

 There has recently been a debate over which of these materials, such as paper, cardboard, plastics, polystyrenes, glass or metal cans, has the most environmental impact. Environmental organizations have convinced many people to replace one material with another in order to become more “right” in terms of environmental impact. These disputes often look at the fact that each of these materials has its own weaknesses in terms of environmental impact. One material may seem better than another in light of specific environmental problems while ignoring other, often more important, problems that are believed to be associated with the preferred material. In fact, paper, cardboard, plastic, polystyrene, glass and metals each have their own weaknesses in terms of environmental impact.

 For example, although polystyrene itself is a relatively inert substance, its manufacture involves the use of a wide variety of hazardous chemical and starting materials. Unpolymerized styrene is very reactive and therefore poses a threat to the health of those who process it. Since styrene is made from benzene, a known mutagen and probably a carcinogen, the resulting qualities of benzene can be found in styrene. Polystyrene decomposes very slowly and discarded containers are stored for a long time.

More potentially dangerous was the use of chlorofluorocarbons or CFCs in the production of "bloated" or "expanded" polystyrene products. This is because CFCs are associated with the destruction of the ozone layer. The manufacture of foamed materials, including blown polystyrene, using CFCs, which are extremely volatile liquids, was used to "expand" or "swell" the polystyrene into foamy material, which was then molded into cups, plates, trays, boxes, "shells" containers, gaskets or packaging materials. Even substituting for less "environmentally harmful" inflated substances, such as HCFC, CO ₂ and pentanes, still entails significant harm and the destruction of these substances would be beneficial.

 In light of these concerns, some environmental groups have approved a temporary return to the use of natural products, such as paper or wood, which are considered more biodegradable. However, other environmental groups had a different opinion in order to minimize deforestation and deforestation.

 Although paper products are supposedly biodegradable and are not associated with the destruction of the ozone layer, recent studies have shown that paper production may have a stronger environmental impact than polystyrene production. In fact, wood fiber and the paper industry have been identified as one of the largest environmental pollutants in the United States. For example, paper products require 10 times more steam, 14 to 20 times more power consumption and 2 times more water for cooling compared to an equivalent polystyrene product. Numerous studies have shown that effluents from paper production contain from 10 to 100 more pollutants than in the production of expanded polystyrene.

 In addition, dioxin, a harmful toxic substance, is an environmental by-product of paper production. Dioxin, or more precisely 2,3,7,8 - tetrachlorodibenzo (b, e) (1,4), is a very toxic pollutant and extremely dangerous even in very small quantities. The highest level of dioxin allowed in the wastewater of a paper mill is approximately 0.5 particles per trillion. However, fish found downstream of the paper mill may contain more than 200 particles per trillion dioxin, which compares to 50 particles per trillion, and this is well known.

 The production process for metal cans, especially those made of aluminum and tin, glass bottles and ceramic containers, involves high energy consumption due to the need to melt and then separately process and shape the raw metal into an intermediate or final product. These increased requirements for energy consumption and processing not only cause the use of valuable energy resources, but also lead to significant environmental pollution by water, air and heat. Moreover, although glass can be recycled again, the part that remains in the ground is, in principle, not biodegradable. Broken glass is very dangerous and persists for years.

 Even paper or cardboard, which many consider biodegradable, can be stored for years, even decades, in protected places where they are protected from air, light, water, which are required for natural biodegradation. It is said that telephone books and newspapers rose from a landfill that had been buried for decades under the ground. This durability of the paper is explained by the fact that it is customary to process, cover or impregnate the paper with various protective materials, which further slow down or prevent its decomposition.

 Another problem associated with paper, cardboard, polystyrene and plastics is that each of them requires the use of relatively expensive organic starting materials, some of which are not recoverable, such as oil in the production of polystyrene and plastics. Although the trees used to make paper and cardboard are renewable in the exact sense of the word, their restoration requires large areas and therefore the rapid destruction of forests in some regions of the world refutes this point of view. Therefore, the use of large quantities in principle of non-renewable starting materials in the manufacture of disposable containers cannot be supported, and from a long-term perspective, this is unreasonable.

 In addition, the process used to produce basic raw materials for packaging materials, such as cellulose, styrenes or metal sheets, is very energy-intensive, causes great pollution of water and air, and requires significant investment.

 In light of the foregoing, disputes should not be directed to which of these materials is more or less harmful to the environment, but to ask ourselves the question: can we find or develop alternative material that can be resolved by most, if not all, environmental issues associated with currently used materials.

 Traditional hydraulically hardening and inorganic-filled materials.

 Man has long used such, in principle, inexhaustible inorganic materials as clay, natural minerals, or stone, and this has been millennia. Clay has been widely used because it is easy to mold into a wide variety of objects, including containers, in a broad sense, tiles and other suitable products. However, some disadvantages of clay include clay hardening time, the need to bake or sinter clay to achieve its optimum strength properties, its mainly large, heavy and weighty nature. Unburnt clay, in particular, has a low tensile strength and beats strongly. However, clay is used in the manufacture of other materials, such as a variety of inexhaustible and inexpensive fillers, such as paper or cardboard. However, due to the fragility and non-cohesive nature of the clay, when used as a filler, clay was not usually used in amounts of more than about 20% by weight of the base paper material.

 Man made extensive use of stone in the construction of buildings, in the manufacture of tools, containers, and other large and bulky objects. However, the obvious drawback of the stone is that it is very hard, brittle and heavy, which limits its use to use only as large, bulky objects with a relatively large mass. However, finer or crushed stone can be used as an inert material in the manufacture of other products, such as hydraulically hardening or cementitious material.

 Hydraulically hardening materials, for example, containing hydraulic cement or gypsum, below “hydraulically hardening”, “hydraulic” or “cementing” compositions, materials or mixtures, have been used for thousands of years to create suitable, mostly large, bulky structures, durable, resistant and relatively inexpensive.

 For example, cement is a hydraulically hardening binder made from clay and limestone; it is not emptying and is very inexpensive compared to the materials discussed above. Hydraulic cement can be mixed with water and an inert material, such as crushed stone or pebbles to form concrete. However, due to the high degree of fluidity required for conventional cementitious mixtures to ensure their operability, the use of concrete and other hydraulically hardening mixtures was mainly limited to simple forms that are voluminous, heavy and bulky and require mechanical efforts to maintain their shape for a long period of time , i.e., until material hardens substantially. Another aspect of the limitation of traditional cementitious mixtures or suspensions is that they have very low or no form stability and are molded into the final form by pouring the mixture into a space having externally supported boundaries or walls.

 It is because of this inability to form that can result from poor workability and / or poor stable shape, combined with low tensile strength per unit weight, hydraulically hardened materials have traditionally been used only in areas where dimensions and weight are not limiting factors and where the forces or loads exerted on concrete are mainly limited by compressive forces, for example, roads, foundations and walls.

 Moreover, hydraulically hardening materials throughout the historical memory were fragile, hard, incapable of bending and having low elasticity, bending and resistance to bending. The fragility and lack of resistance to loads, about 1-4 MPa, in concrete is universally confirmed by the fact that concrete quickly cracks after slight shrinkage or bending, in contrast to materials such as metal, paper, plastic or ceramic.

 Consequently, conventional cementitious materials were unsuitable for the manufacture of small lightweight products, such as containers or thin sheets, which are better if they are made of materials with high tensile and bending resistance per unit weight compared to conventional hydraulically hardening materials.

 Another problem associated with traditional and even very recently developed high-strength concretes is that for concrete the exposure time after molding by ingot is long. Typically, concrete products formed from fluid mixtures require a hardening time of 10 to 24 hours before the concrete begins to support itself and up to a month until the concrete reaches its maximum strength. In order to avoid the formation of cracks, you need to take a lot of care about moving hydraulically hardening products before they break. Since the molds used to form hydraulically hardened objects are usually repeatedly used in the manufacture of concrete products and considerable time is required for minimum exposure of concrete, it was difficult to economically and commercially profitably organize mass production of hydraulically hardening products.

 Although cement and other types of hydraulically hardening binders are believed to give significant strength, including tensile strength and especially compressive strength, such binders were found to be too small in relation to the above hydraulically hardening materials in order to act not so much as a binder, how much as a neutral filler. As a result, studies were conducted to determine whether, if necessary, a hydraulically hardening binder is used or if the binder is used in sufficiently small quantities so that it acts mainly as a neutral material, but so that increased the concentration of inorganic material in combination with an alternative binder.

 Below, materials that use a hydraulic binder only as a neutral substance will be referred to as inorganically filled materials. Products made from such materials are likely to have the advantage that they are more cost-effective products compared to previous developments from paper, plastic and metal materials due to their low cost, low environmental impact and availability of raw materials.

 Some attempts have been made to fill the paper with inorganic materials such as kaolin or calcium carbonate, although there is a restriction of approximately 20-35% of the volume to the amount of inorganic material that may be included in these products. In addition, there have been attempts to fill some plastic materials with clay in order to increase the ability of the product to “breathe” and increase the ability of packaging materials to keep fresh the fruits or vegetables stored in them. In addition, inorganic materials are typically added to adhesives and coatings in order to impart certain color or texture properties to the hardened product. However, inorganic materials contain only a fraction of the total material used to manufacture such products and do not constitute the majority of the packaging mass. Since highly inorganically filled materials, in principle, contain such neutral environmental components as stone, sand, clay and water, they would be ideally suited from an environmental point of view to replace paper, cardboard, plastic, polystyrene or metallic materials as a choice for such applications. Inorganic materials also have great advantages compared to synthetic or high-process materials in terms of cost.

 Thanks to the recent awareness of the enormous environmental impact of using paper, cardboard, plastic, polystyrene and metals for a wide variety of disposable, mostly discarded, items such as printed sheets or containers made from them (not to mention the increasing political pressure), there was an urgent need (long recognized by experts) to find environmentally friendly substitute materials. In particular, the industry tried to develop hydraulically hardening and highly inorganically filled materials for these products with a high volume of waste.

 Despite such economic and environmental pressures, intensive research, and a long-felt need, there simply did not exist a technology for the economical and real production of hydraulically hardening and highly inorganically filled materials associated with organic polymers that could replace paper, cardboard, plastics, polystyrenes or metal sheets or containers made from them.

 Such materials are not only made from inexhaustible components, they do not affect the environment as much as paper, cardboard, plastics, polystyrenes, glass or metal. Another advantage of hydraulically hardening and other inorganic materials is that they are much cheaper than paper, cardboard, plastic, polystyrene or metals.

 Although paper, cardboard, plastic, polystyrene, glass and metals can be compared at a price to each other, they are much more expensive than conventional hydraulically hardening and highly inorganically filled materials. Since no rationally conducted business will be able to ignore the economic advantages, which will necessarily increase from the replacement of paper, cardboard, plastics, polystyrene or metals with much less expensive materials, the inability to make such a replacement can be explained only by the striking lack of modern technology to produce such a replacement .

 In light of the above, it is precisely new materials that are needed instead of paper, cardboard, plastics, polystyrene, glass or metals, which can be used in the manufacture of containers and packaging materials used in the storage, sale and packaging of liquids and solids. Such materials would represent significant technological progress if they could be produced without relying so much on the use of trees, oil or other, in principle, non-renewable or slowly renewable resources as a source of primary source material.

 As prior art, the invention of US Pat. No. 4,445,970, cl. D 21 F 11/00, 01/01/84 (1). The article of inorganically filled material known from (1) contains an inorganically filled structural matrix formed by removing a significant amount of water by evaporation from an inorganically filled mixture, including water, an organic polymer binder, a water-dispersible organic binder, an inorganic filler (filler), and fibrous material. The product according to (1) can be molded in the form of a sheet.

 The known method (1) of manufacturing an article from an inorganically filled material involves mixing a water-dispersible organic binder, an inorganic filler (aggregate), water and fibrous material to form a molding mixture with inorganic aggregate and fibrous material uniformly dispersed in it, molding the mixture to remove a significant portion water.

 The known device (1) for the manufacture of products from inorganically filled material contains a stirring means, a molding means and a drying means.

 Known inventions differ from the present invention because of the difference in techniques and operations, which consist of the following.

 Typically, in known papermaking solutions, a slurry mainly consisting of water - typically 99% - is sent to a wire sieve in order to allow water to drain or dissolve through a sieve during the start of the paper making process called "wet residue". Since the bulk of the water is removed from the paper suspension, most of the substances dissolved in the water, and many particles that are small enough to pass through the openings of the wire sieve, including most of the mineral fillers, are washed with the water. Due to the specific physical properties of the fabric or the weaving or overlapping of fibers from one to another, there is a natural limit to the amount of mineral filler that can be mixed using known paper making processes. To increase the amount of mineral filler loaded in known paper-making processes, some techniques are based on adding a filler composition to the paper slurry. The filler composition to be added includes mineral filler particles adhered to the fibers with a binder. Typically, the mineral filler in such mixtures is firmly bonded or bonded to the surface of the fibers, in contrast to the fact that they are usually suspended in water or uniformly dispersed throughout the filler mixture. Most of the mineral filler, which is not bonded to the fibers, seems to be able to pass through a sieve during the paper making process called "wet residue". Conventional papermaking methods do not indicate how to process mixtures with a relatively low water content that do not require drainage or dehydration. These well-known techniques do not indicate how to directly mold the mixture to form the desired product, nor do they talk about the preparation and processing of the moldable mixture with components that are actually uniformly dispersed in it.

 It would be a significant step forward in technology to create compounds, methods and devices that allow to obtain hydraulically hardening and inorganically filled production products having properties similar to paper, cardboard, polystyrene, plastic or metals. It would also be a huge step forward in technology if such products could be manufactured using the same or similar production apparatus and methods that are currently used to produce products from paper, cardboard, polystyrene, plastic or metal sheets.

 It would be an important step forward in technology if such hydraulically hardening and inorganically filled products did not lead to the generation of waste associated with the production of paper, cardboard, plastic, polystyrene or metals. In addition, it would be a significant step forward in technology if such products were easily decomposed into substances that are usually found in the ground.

 From a practical point of view, it would be significant progress if such compounds and methods would allow the production of containers and packaging materials with a cost comparable to or even lower than the cost of producing containers and packaging materials from existing materials. Specifically, it would be desirable to reduce energy requirements and initial capital investments to obtain products using existing materials.

 From the perspective of production, it would be significant progress to create hydraulically hardening and inorganically filled materials and methods for mass production of products from them, especially containers and packaging materials, which could be quickly formed and substantially dried in a few minutes from the start of the manufacturing process.

 Such materials, methods and devices used for the manufacture of manufacturing products, including packaging materials and containers, are described and claimed here.

 The present invention relates to new methods and devices for manufacturing industrial products from hydraulically hardening and inorganically filled materials (collectively referred to below as “moldable materials, mixtures or compounds”). It has been found that lightweight, durable, and environmentally compatible (and optionally flexible or insulating) products, such as containers and packaging materials, can be easily and inexpensively mass produced from formable materials, including hydraulically settable or inorganic binders, through innovative processes developed using materials science and microstructural technology.

 The materials science and microstructural techniques of the present invention allow the desired physical characteristics and properties to be incorporated into the microstructure of the formable compounds of the present invention, while taking into account cost and other difficulties associated with large manufacturing systems. At the same time, many problems that historically limited the use of most molding materials were overcome.

 As will be discussed in more detail below, the approaches of materials science and microstructural technology, used instead of the traditional approach by trial and error and the method of mixing and testing, specifically allow the construction of formable materials with high tensile and bending properties, high insulation, low weights , low cost and low environmental impact that are required from products, including containers and packaging materials. The management of the design of formable compounds at the microstructural level was partly a consequence of the discovery that during the formation of the object, either (a) the rheological properties of the compound must be chemically modified in order to obtain molding ability and rapid mold stability, or (b) the concentration of water in the compound should be reduced by processing or by adding energy.

 The result is the ability to mass produce on a commercially real scale a wide variety of containers or other products (including many single-use items) from moldable materials with a cost price, usually competitive cost, and in many cases lower than the cost associated with other materials. The main components in the moldable materials of the present invention include a hydraulically settable binder (like cement or gypsum), an organic binder (polysaccharide, protein or synthetic organic materials), aggregates (like perlite, sand, glass, silica, vermiculite, clay, mica, and even concrete waste products), fibers (usually wood or vegetable), water, and additives such as dispersants and setting accelerators.

 Capable of forming materials include both hydraulically hardening materials and highly inorganically filled materials. Although these two types of materials may contain the same components, mixtures differ in concentration and in function of some components.

 Hydraulically settable materials include a hydraulically settable binder and water, to which components such as fillers, fibers, dispersants and rheological modifying agents can be selectively added to modify the properties of the mixture. Hydraulically hardening binder acts as the primary binder for the selected components.

 In a hydraulically hardening material, organic components, such as cellulose-based fibers and / or modifying the rheological properties of the substance, will constitute a small fraction of the total mass of the material used to manufacture the products. Collectively, organic components typically comprise less than 30% by volume of an uncured hydraulically settable mixture; preferably, this proportion will be less than about 15% of the volume.

 In contrast, highly inorganically filled materials contain a mixture of a water-dispersible organic binder (similar to substances used as rheology-modifying agents inside a hydraulically hardening mixture), water, fibers and inorganic aggregates having a concentration in the range of from about 40% to about 98% by volume of the total solids in the mixture. Other components, such as organic aggregates, dispersants, and hydraulically settable binders, can be selectively added to this mixture. In inorganically filled materials, the organic binder acts as the primary binder, while the hydraulically settable binder is usually added (if at all) in smaller amounts in order to act as inorganic fillers and react with some water. Of course, a mixture having an amount of a binder of both a hydraulically settable binder and an organic binder can meet the definitions of both a “hydraulically settable mixture” and an “inorganically filled mixture”. The difference between them often refers only to degree.

 In order to design the required specific functional properties by “embedding” them in the molding mixture and / or the hardened structural matrix for a particular product, a wide variety of additives can be included in the molding mixture, such as rheological modifying substances or organic binders, dispersants, one or several aggregate materials, fibers, air entraining agents, blowing agents or chemically active metals. The type and quantity of any additive will depend on the desired properties or working criteria of both the molding sand and the final hardened product made from it.

 Organic binders are simply polymers that, when added to water under certain conditions, form long chains that intertwine and capture the components of the mixture. When water is removed from the mixture, these long chains harden and bind the structural matrix. Due to the nature of these organic binders, they also modify the rheological properties of the compound.

 Used in this description and the attached claims, the concepts of "organic binder" and "modifying the rheological properties of the substance" are synonymous. Whether organic material is a binder or, first of all, affects the rheological properties depends on the degree and concentration. In smaller quantities, organic material primarily affects rheological properties. If more “modifying the rheological properties of the substance” is added, its ability to help bind particles together increases and it can rightly be called an “organic binder”, although it also affects the rheological properties.

 Organic binders or rheological modifying agents can be added to increase cohesion, “plastic-like” behavior and the ability of the mixture to maintain shape when formed or extruded. They act as thickeners and increase the yield strength of the moldable mixture, and this is the amount of force required to deform the mixture. This creates a high strength raw sand in the molded or extruded product. Suitable materials that modify the rheological properties include various materials based on cellulose, starch and proteins (which are usually highly polar) and all of them help to bind the individual particles together.

 On the other hand, dispersants help to reduce the viscosity and yield strength of the mixture by dispersing the individual aggregates and binding of the particles. This allows less water to be used while maintaining adequate levels of performance. Dispersants include any material that can be adsorbed on the surface of particles or aggregates of a hydraulically hardening binder and which helps disperse particles, usually creating a charged region on the surface of the particle or in the near double colloidal layer.

 It may be preferable to include one or more aggregate materials in the moldable mixture in order to increase the weight and reduce the cost of the mixture. Aggregates often give significant strength and improve performance. One example of such a filler is ordinary sand or clay, which is completely environmentally friendly, extremely inexpensive and, in principle, inexhaustible.

 In other cases, lightweight fillers may be added to give a lighter and often more insulating final product. Examples of lightweight fillers are perlite, vermiculite, hollow glass spheres, airgel, xerogel, pumice and other light, stone-like materials. These aggregates are likewise environmentally neutral and relatively inexpensive.

 Fibers can be added to the molding compounds to increase compressive, tensile, bending and cohesive strengths of the wet material, as well as hardened products made from them. In the case when the product is made of a sheet formed from a mixture, the inclusion of fibers will allow you to fold, cut or fold the sheet, giving it the desired shape of the product. It is desirable that the fiber has a high tear and breakout resistance (i.e., high tensile strength), and its examples are Manila hemp, southern pine, flax, bagas (sugarcane fiber), cotton and hemp. Fibers with a high aspect ratio best give strength and rigidity to the molding material.

 One of the significant aspects of the present invention is that the products according to the invention can be manufactured economically and in bulk.

 The products described here are not intended for manual production at a speed of several pieces for some time, but are intended for production by hundreds, thousands or tens of thousands of pieces per hour. The creation of new materials that can be quickly processed in this way (i.e., similarly to paper, plastic or metals) is the result of using one of the following approaches during the manufacturing process: (a) chemical modification of the moldable mixture (for example, by adding a rheology-modifying substance) to giving the mixture the ability to process and then quickly form stability, or (b) reducing the water content during the molding process (for example, by adding energy in the form of t heat or pressure). The application of these principles will become readily apparent from consideration of the following production methods.

 There are several steps and methods for manufacturing an article according to the present invention. The first stage, universal for all methods, is the preparation of the molding sand. The mixture is prepared by combining the desired binder and water with selected materials, such as a rheological modifier, dispersant, fillers and fibers, to create a mixture having the desired rheological properties, as well as characteristics of tensile strength, weight, insulation and low cost. The components are usually combined with high shear mixing while mixing, but brittle or lightweight aggregates are often added when mixing with low shear to prevent grinding of the aggregate.

 The second stage is the molding or giving the mixture the desired shape of the product.

 Preferred processes include compression molding, injection molding, blow molding, jig molding, wet sheet molding, dry sheet molding, and the like. The process of pressing in molds (dies) involves placing the mixture between a movable die and a fixed die (die) with complementary forms. Then the dies are mated to form the mixture in the form of dies. In injection molding, the mixture is injected under high pressure into a closed die, thereby forming a shape corresponding to the shape of the die. When the mixture becomes stable in shape, the matrix opens and the product is taken out for drying.

 There are two types of blow molding: injection molding with blow and injection molding with blow. In injection molding with blasting, the mixture is placed on the core of the foundry core, which is then placed in a closed die. Then, air is blown through the core of the casting rod to expand the mixture, pressing it against the walls of the matrix, which forms the desired product. Extrusion molding with blasting is carried out by displacing the mixture in the form of a pipe, which is fixed between the two halves of the matrix. Then, a blast punch is inserted into the pipe, through which air passes, expanding the mixture in the direction of the matrix walls to achieve the desired shape of the product.

 Jig molding is similar to clay molding using a pottery machine. The process requires the use of a rotating spindle on which an open-jaw matrix is placed. A certain amount of the mixture is placed at the bottom of the rotating matrix. Then a rotating roller head is used to compress the mixture to the side walls of the matrix, which forms the mixture into the desired product. When the mixture is molded, excess material is removed from the edge of the matrix and the product is allowed to gain shape stability.

 Forming wet sheets and forming dry sheets is similar in that the mixture is first molded into a sheet. A moldable mixture with the desired characteristics (prepared according to the procedure described above) is forced out through a die, for example a syringe-type machine, a necklace or a piston type, forming relatively thin sheets of predetermined thickness. In one embodiment, a vacuum is created in the neck to remove excess air from the mixture.

 Then the extruded sheets are “rolled” by passing them between a set of compression rollers to obtain sheets of a more uniform thickness and with a smoother surface. In some cases, it may be preferable to pass the sheets through rows of sets of rollers having ever smaller distances between the sets of rollers in order to obtain a rolled sheet whose thickness is gradually decreasing.

 In addition, by using a pair of rollers having different orientations in the "Z" direction (or normal to the surface of the sheet), for example when using a flat roller paired with a conical roller, a certain percentage of fibers can be oriented in the "X" direction (or width). In this way, a sheet having bi-directionally oriented fibers can be made. It is believed that this is because the tapered roller can expand the sheet in the "X" direction. Sheets having bi-directionally aligned fibers allow for products with more uniform strength.

 In a wet sheet process, a portion of the sheet is then molded into the desired shape of the container or article. This is preferably done by pressing a sheet between a movable die of the desired shape and a stationary die, the configuration of which in principle complements the shape of the movable die. Alternate types of dies include split molds and dies with sequential operations. Products can also be molded using one or more vacuum forming methods for sheets.

 In the dry sheet process, the wet sheet described above is sequentially passed over heated drying rollers to convert the sheet into a dry sheet product similar to a paper sheet. In addition, the sheet can optionally be passed between the sealing rollers when it is still in a slightly moistened state in order to eliminate undesirable voids inside the structural matrix, increase fiber adhesion, reduce porosity and / or increase surface smoothness. By carefully controlling the water content, it can be ensured that the sealing rollers only compress and increase the density of the sheet without lengthening it further.

 If desired, the sheet can be chipped, cut longitudinally or perforated while being slightly moistened or even in a dry state to create a line inside the structural matrix, along which the sheet can then be hinged or bent. If desired, the sheet can be passed through a set of corrugated rollers to obtain a corrugated sheet and / or cardboard.

 When the dry sheet is molded, it can then be formed into the desired product by a number of methods well known in the paper industry. Such methods include folding, folding, wave winding, molding, assembly and bag formation.

 In order to economically produce products, a designed product must quickly gain shape stability. In one embodiment, the forming apparatus, including dies, dies, and rollers, is heated to a predetermined temperature to quickly dry the surface of the product, creating a product with a stable shape.

 The heating of the molding apparatus also forms a vapor barrier that minimizes the adhesion of the article to the molding apparatus. You can also use additional methods, such as cooling the molding apparatus or adding a non-hydrating liquid to the mixture, which quickly evaporates to quickly give shape stability to the products. Still other methods used to give shape stability include adding gypsum hemihydrate, carbonate sources, accelerators, methyl cellulose and starch to the mixture or limiting the amount of water in the mixture.

 When the products have gained sufficient mold stability, they can be removed from the dies. Removing from the dies is usually done by "air fan" or by suctioning the products from the matrix. Air may be blown between molded parts and dies to aid removal. Alternatively, you can use various templates or ring pullers to remove products from the matrix.

 Finally, the products are passed through a drying apparatus to expel additional water from the inside of the product, which increases strength and improves the stability of the shape of the product. The heat applied by the dryer also increases the degree of hydration of the hydraulic cement and the drying of the organic binder. When the product has acquired sufficient strength, the product can be packaged and shipped.

 Before, during, or after any of the described molding processes, a surface of a generally dried sheet or article may be coated for a number of reasons, for example, to make the article more waterproof, more flexible, or to give it a more glossy surface.

 Coatings based on materials such as soybean oil and metocel, alone or in combination with polyethylene glycol, can be applied to the surface to constantly soften the sheet or article, or the loop inside the article.

 Elastomeric, plastic or paper coatings can help maintain the integrity of the crease or hinge (if used), regardless of whether or not the hardened structural matrix below is cracked after being folded in the loop. It may also be desirable to print or emboss on sheets or products in the form of badges, logos or other printed material.

 Further exemplary embodiments of the present invention include the addition of air cavities to the material to impart insulating properties to the articles. These air cavities are created by incorporating gas through various methods into hydraulically hardening mixtures - one method being the mechanical inclusion of air voids during the mixing process, and the other method is the inclusion of gas, which is chemically generated locally inside the hydraulic paste.

 The compound according to the present invention can be varied to obtain products of a fundamentally different nature. For example, very light products (similar to polystyrene foam) with rigid walls can be made. For convenience, this first type of product is sometimes referred to herein as a “foamy” product.

 Alternatively, according to the present invention, it is possible to manufacture products that look more like pottery or ceramic products. However, the products of the present invention are much lighter, because they usually have a mass specific gravity of less than about 1.5, while pottery or ceramic products usually have a mass specific gravity of 2 or more. This second type of product according to the present invention is sometimes referred to herein as a “clay” product, because it is a molding material with zero sludge, with a stable shape, which, however, has wonderful processing properties.

 Both foam and clay material can first be molded into a sheet (or into a continuous roll), which is then stamped, pressed, chipped, folded or folded into the shape of a desired container or other industrial product. This third type of product will be called a “leaf-shaped” product, which will be most similar to paper or cardboard and will take their place in many industrial products.

 A key design feature using the microstructural technique of the present invention is the optimization in terms of material science of each desired property (including minimizing cost). Only thanks to the unique microstructural technique of the present invention, molding compounds, including hydraulically hardening and inorganically filled mixtures, can be molded into a thin-walled, complex, lightweight product, such as a food and beverage container, but which still retains its shape without external support during wet state before the hardening stage.

 Indeed, the economic reality of mass production of products, such as containers for food and drinks, from materials capable of molding is possible only because the mixture is self-supporting in a wet state and will retain its molded state throughout the hardening or drying process.

 In addition, it is important that the compounds of the present invention provide mixtures that quickly achieve a sufficiently high tensile and compressive strength, so that molded containers and other products can be processed and manipulated using conventional means.

 Based on the foregoing, one of the objectives of the present invention is to provide improved compounds, methods and devices for the production of hydraulically hardening and inorganically filled industrial products, which are currently formed from, for example, paper, cardboard, polystyrene, plastic or metals.

 Another objective and feature of the present invention is the creation of compounds, methods and devices that allow you to get hydraulically hardening and inorganically filled products having properties similar to those of paper, cardboard, polystyrene, plastic or metals.

 Another objective of the present invention is to provide molding compounds that can be molded into a wide variety of products using the same or similar manufacturing apparatus and methods that are currently used to form such items, for example, from paper, cardboard, plastic, polystyrene or metals.

 Another objective and feature of the present invention is the creation of compounds, methods and devices for the manufacture of products from molding sand, which do not lead to the formation of waste associated with the production of materials from paper, plastic, polystyrene or metals.

 Another goal and feature is that the products are easily decomposed into substances that are non-toxic and are usually found in the ground.

 Another objective of the present invention is to provide compounds, methods and devices that allow the production of products with a cost comparable to the cost of existing methods of manufacturing products from existing materials or even lower cost.

 Another objective and feature of the present invention is the creation of methods and devices for production that are less energy intensive, conserve valuable natural resources and require lower initial capital investments compared to methods and devices used in the manufacture of products from existing materials.

 Another objective of the present invention is to provide compounds containing less water, which must be removed during the manufacturing process (compared to paper production) in order to reduce processing time and reduce the initial investment in equipment.

 Finally, an additional goal and feature of the present invention is the creation of compounds, methods and devices for mass production of products from molding sand, which can be quickly molded and thoroughly dried within minutes from the start of the production process.

 These and other objects and features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description and appended claims, or they can be learned using the invention in practice.

 In order to understand how the above and other advantages and objectives of the invention are achieved, a more specific description of the invention, briefly described above, will be presented with reference to specific embodiments of the invention, which are illustrated by the accompanying drawings. With the understanding that these drawings describe only typical embodiments of the invention and therefore cannot be considered as limiting its scope, the invention will now be described with further specificity and detail by using the accompanying drawings.

 FIG. 1 is a general view of the apparatus used to prepare the molding sand of the present invention, including a stirrer and a double neck extruder.

 FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the movable and stationary dies used in the pressing process.

 FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view of a split mold.

 FIG. 2B is a cross section of a stamp with sequential operations.

 FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a movable and fixed dies, partially articulated to form a gap.

 FIG. 4 is a cross section of a two-stage injector.

 FIG. 5 is a cross section of a reciprocating screw injector.

 FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a mixture that is placed between a movable die and a stationary die.

 FIG. 7A-B is a schematic view of a template that is used to accommodate a moldable mixture.

 FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of an injection mold.

 FIG. 9 is a schematic view of three stages used in injection molding with blasting (injection molding with blasting).

 FIG. 10A-E show the processing steps during blow molding.

 FIG. 11A-D show jigging processing steps.

 FIG. 12 is a perspective view of two preferred devices used in the manufacture of sheets during wet sheet forming, including a stirrer, a double extruder of the “neck” type, a die head, and a series of compression rollers.

 FIG. 13 is a cross section of a pair of crimping rollers.

 FIG. 14 is a schematic view of a movable die and a fixed die used in forming a wet sheet into a manufactured product.

 FIG. 15A-B is a cross-section of matrices used in the stamping process of “wallpaper material”.

 FIG. 16A-B is a cross-section of matrices used in direct vacuum stamping.

 FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of the matrices used in the vacuum stamping of “wallpaper material”.

 FIG. 18A-B is a cross-sectional view of dies used in vacuum stamping with backward crimping.

 FIG. 19A-B is a cross-sectional view of matrices used in large wave / air slip vacuum stamping.

 FIG. 20A-B is a cross-sectional view of matrices used in large wave / wallpaper type vacuum stamping.

 FIG. 21A-B is a cross-sectional view of dies used in vacuum stamping using a plug gauge.

 FIG. 22A-B is a cross-sectional view of the matrices used in stamping of the “big wave” type / with the help of a gauge plug / with backward crimping ”.

 FIG. 23A-B is a cross-section of matrices used in double sheet stamping.

 FIG. 24 is a general view of the apparatus used to produce sheets during the stamping process of dry sheets, including a stirrer, syringe machine, crimping rollers, heating rollers, sealing rollers, hard rollers, soft rollers and reel.

 FIG. 25 is a cross section of a sheet passed between a pair of sealing rollers.

 FIG. 26 is a sheet extending over hard and soft rollers.

 FIG. 27 shows a sheet passed between grooved rollers.

 FIG. 28 is a perspective view of a sheet that is cut longitudinally with a knife and blade.

 FIG. 29 is a perspective view of a sheet that is longitudinally cut using a continuous die cutting roller.

 FIG. 30 is a perspective view of how a notch is pressed into a sheet with a corrugation stamp.

 FIG. 31 is a perspective view of how a sheet is perforated with a perforating cutter.

 FIG. 32A is a perspective view of a cardboard blank with a sealed end.

 FIG. 32B is a perspective view of an intermediate cardboard shell with a sealed end.

 FIG. 32B is a perspective view of a cardboard with a sealed end.

 FIG. 33A is a perspective view of a cup blank.

 FIG. 33B is a perspective view of a cup.

 FIG. 34 is a schematic view of an automated apparatus forming cups.

 The present invention relates to new hydraulically hardening and inorganically filled materials, methods and devices for the production of industrial products. Hydraulically hardening and inorganically filled materials, previously described as formable materials, can generally be described as multicomponent, multiscale, fiber-reinforced microcomposites. By carefully incorporating a wide variety of materials that have discrete but synergistically related properties, it is possible to create microcomposites that have remarkable properties in terms of strength, hardness, environmental safety, the possibility of mass production and low cost. One important aspect is that by carefully selecting the size of the aggregate particles, a highly uniform material is obtained.

 In particular, materials including hydraulically settable binder, organic binder, fibers (organic and inorganic), aggregates (organic and inorganic) and various other components can be molded into industrial products, including containers and packaging materials that have traditionally been manufactured from materials such as metal, plastic, glass and paper. The new materials or mixtures of the present invention can be designed so that they have the properties of traditional materials, but at the same time they have improved properties in the sense of environmental neutrality in production and sales and are less expensive. As will be discussed in more detail, the products according to the present invention can be manufactured in various ways, such as extrusion, rolling, pressing, molding and combinations thereof.

 Design by microstructural techniques.

 As mentioned above, the compounds used for the manufacture of products according to the present invention were developed from the perspective of microstructural technology in order to "embed" certain desired, predetermined properties into the microstructure of a moldable material, while also recognizing production costs and other difficulties associated with with the manufacture. In addition, this analytical approach from the point of view of microstructural technology, in contrast to the traditional trial and error method: mixing and testing, has led to the possibility of constructing materials with such properties in terms of strength, weight, insulation, cost and environmental neutrality that are mandatory for manufacturing products in a much more efficient manner.

 Molded materials have the advantage over other existing materials in that they can acquire their properties under relatively calm and gentle conditions. (Other materials require high energy, strong heating, or harsh chemical treatments, which significantly affect the components of the material). Therefore, many different materials with amazing synergistic properties and results can be included in capable of molding materials with the correct design of mixtures and their manufacture.

 The structure of the compounds according to the present invention was developed and determined primarily taking into account the main limitations dictated by the structure itself, and then by searching for a subset of materials that maximize the performance of the components. However, at any time in the process, it is important to recognize the need to design products that can be manufactured in a cost-competitive process.

 Initial restrictions on the choice of materials are imposed by the structural characteristics of the component, which are critical for a successful product. For example, with respect to the sheet used for the manufacture of containers, these initial restrictions include minimum weight, strength (compressive and tensile) and hardness requirements while keeping the cost of these products at a level comparable to the cost of similar paper products, cardboard , plastics, polystyrene or metal.

 One of the problems previously associated with moldable materials was a long hardening period until such materials were disbanded. An important feature of the present invention is that when the moldable mixture is molded into the desired product, it will retain its shape (i.e. bear its own weight under the influence of small forces, such as gravity and movement through processing equipment) in a wet state without external support. In addition, from the point of view of production, so that production is economical, it is important that the molded product quickly (within minutes or even seconds) reach sufficient strength so that it can be physically processed using conventional manufacturing procedures, even if the material is still in raw condition and not completely hardened.

 In its simplest form, the process of using materials science in microstructural design and the formation of materials capable of molding comprises characterization, analysis and modification (if necessary) of: (a) aggregates, (b) predicted packing of particles, (c) rheology of the system, and (d) processing and energy production system. In determining the characteristics of the aggregates, the average particle size is determined, the natural packing density of the particles (which is a function of the actual particle size) is determined, and the particle strength is established. (Unreacted hydraulic binder particles may be considered aggregate).

 With this information, it is possible to predict particle packing according to mathematical models. It has been found that particle packaging is an initial factor in designing the desired requirements for the final product, such as processing ability, shape stability, shrinkage, mass density, insulating ability, tensile, compressive and bending strength, elasticity, durability and optimization cost price. Particle packaging is influenced not only by the characterization of the particles and the aggregate, but also by the amount of water and its relationship to the volume of intermediate voids of the packed aggregates.

 The rheological properties of the system are a function of both macro-rheology and micro-rheology. Macroreology is the relationship of solid particles in relation to each other, as it is determined by the packing of particles. Micro-rheology is a function of the proportion of the lubricant in the system. By modifying the lubricants (it may be water, modifying the rheological properties of the substance, plasticizers or other materials), the viscosity and yield strength can be chemically modified. Macroreology can also be physically modified by changing the shape and size of the particles, for example, chopped fibers, plate mica, rounded silica foam, or fragmented, angular, granular, hydrogenated binder particles will interact with lubricants in different ways.

 The concept of microstructural technology is further discussed in US patent application number 08 / 109.100, entitled "Compositionally Optimized Compounds and Processes for Microstructural Construction of Cementing Mixtures", filed on August 18, 1993 for Peer Just Andersen and Simon C. Hodson.

 From the following discussion, it will become clear how the materials of the components inside the moldable mixture, as well as the processing parameters, contribute to the initial structural limitations of industrial products so that they can be mass-produced economically. Specific compounds are set forth in the examples below to show how maximizing the performance of each component enables a combination of the desired properties.

 Industrial products.

 The present invention is directed to the manufacture of industrial products, especially containers and packaging materials. The term “product” or “manufacturing product” as used in the description and appended claims should include all products that can be formed through the processes described here, for example, stamping, injection molding, blow molding, jigging, wet sheet forming and molding dry sheets using the described molding materials. These products include containers, packaging materials and other products. Currently made from paper, plastic, styrofoam, metal, glass or composites.

 The terms “container” or “containers” as used in this description and in the appended claims should include any reservoir or vessel used to pack, store, transport, serve, portion, or sell various types of products or items (including solids and liquids), whether short-term or long-term use of these products is intended.

 Containers included in the scope of this invention include, but are not limited to, cardboard boxes, boxes, corrugated boxes, sandwich boxes, shell containers with rods (strips) (including, but not limited to, boxes with sandwich rods, used for instant sandwiches such as hamburgers and boxes with salad rods), boxes for dry bread products, boxes for frozen foods, dairy bags, bags for fruit juices, carriers for containers a ditch with drinks (including, but not limited to, wrappers, basket carriers, and “six-pack” ring carriers), ice cream cups, cups (including, but not limited to, disposable drinking glasses, double cups, single folding cups and conical cups), French fries containers used for dispensing quick-cooked food, delivery boxes for quick-cooked food, packaging, flexible packaging such as snack bags, bags (including but not limited to m, open-end bags, such as grocery bags, bags inside boxes, such as dry bread boxes and multi-walled bags), bags, wrappers, support cards for products presented with a lid, in particular plastic lids (including food products such as lunch-mit, office products, cosmetics, hardware and toys), carrying drawers and trays (for carrying products such as cookies or sweets), jars, containers for yogurt, rolled or wrapped containers (for such product such as concentrates of frozen juices, oatmeal, crisp, ice cream, salt, detergents and machine oil), mail tubes, sheet rolls for roll materials (such as wrapping paper, fabric materials, paper towels and toilet paper), sleeves , cigar boxes, pastry boxes, cosmetics boxes, plates, plates for sale in vending machines, pie plates, trays, cookie trays, bowls, breakfast plates, microwave dining trays, “television” dining trays , egg boxes, meat packing plates, disposable linings that can be used with containers such as cups, wrapping materials (including, but not limited to, freezer wrappers, tire wrappers, butcher wrappers, meat wrappers and wrappers for sausages), food containers, in principle spherical objects, bottles, decanters, boxes, packing crates, dishes, lids, straws, envelopes, rubber bands, cutlery, postcards, three-ring binding containers, book covers, folders, toys and vials for medicines, ampoules, animal cells, non-combustible shell fireworks, shells for rocket engine models, model rockets, and an endless variety of other objects.

 In short, this product must be able to retain its contents, whether in a stationary state, or during movement or processing, while maintaining its structural integrity and the structural integrity of the materials in it or on it. This does not mean that the product is required to withstand strong or even minimal effort. In fact, in some cases it may be desirable for the product to be extremely fragile or fragile. However, the product must be able to fulfill the function for which it was intended. The necessary properties can always be "embedded" in the material and structure of the product in advance.

 The product must also be able to contain the goods in it and maintain its integrity for a sufficient period of time to match the intended use. It will become clear that in some circumstances the product will be able to seal the contents from the external environment, and in other circumstances it may simply contain or hold the contents.

 Containment products used in conjunction with containers are also intended to be included in the concept of “containers”. Such products include, for example, lids, straws; inner packaging, such as partitions, gaskets, brake soft gaskets, corner clips, corner protectors, gap gaskets, cut sheets and trays, boxes, funnels, wrappers, lining materials and any other item used for packaging, storage, transportation , portioning, serving or selling an item inside the container.

 The present invention may include certain types of products, such as those described in US Pat. No. 5,100,586, entitled “Containers for Binding Harmful Wastes and a Method for Their Production”. This patent seeks to create binders for the storage of hazardous waste. Such hazardous waste containers may be spherical with a hollow core.

 Products within the scope of the present invention may or may not be classified as disposable. In some cases, where a stronger and more durable design is required, the product may be capable of repeated use. On the other hand, the product can be made in such a way that it is economical to use it once and then discard it. These products are of such a composition that they can easily be thrown into ordinary places for dumping waste as an environmentally neutral material, i.e. without creating significant environmental hazards.

 The term "preform" as used in this description and in the appended claims should include a sheet ready for molding into an article. A preform is a sheet that has been cut to give it an appropriate shape, with any appropriate incisions, perforations, holes or slots that could help shape or assemble it into an appropriate product.

 The term “moldable sheet” as used in this description and in the appended claims should include any, in principle, flat, notched, cut, perforated, molded, corrugated, curved, bent, printed, coated or textured according to the methods described herein sheet suitable for stockpiling for the manufacture of containers and other products. The only significant limitation is that the sheet contains a matrix formed from a formable material, as defined in the description. In the framework of this invention, it is also proposed the inclusion of other materials in the sheet by molding the sheet with layers formed from other materials, such as paper, plastic or metals, by coating the sheet, applying printed symbols to it, by using uncut fibers as an external support of the sheet and by applying other non-hydraulically hardening materials.

 The term “matrix” or “structural matrix” as used in this description and in the appended claims should refer to a molding mixture that has been molded or formed into the desired shape. This concept should include all such matrices without distinction between the degree of hydration and / or drying of the matrix. Therefore, the matrix may contain the moldable mixture in a raw, solid, wet, hardened or hardened (vulcanized) state.

 The phrases “capable of mass production” or manufactured in a “commercial” or “economical” manner in this description and in the appended claims should imply the ability of the products described here to be rapidly produced at a speed that makes their manufacture economically comparable to the speed of manufacturing products from other materials such as paper, cardboard, plastic, polystyrene or metal. The present invention is directed to the creation of innovative compounds that destroy the problems of previous developments related to the formation of capable of forming materials in an economical and cost-effective manner. Products made from moldable materials should become competitive in the market with materials made from other standard materials such as paper, cardboard, plastic, polystyrene, glass or metals.

 Capable materials.

 As defined above, the term “moldable material” as used in this description and in the appended claims should include “hydraulically settable mixtures, materials or compounds” and “organically filled mixtures, materials or compounds”. The term "hydraulically settable materials" as used in this description and in the appended claims includes any material with a structural matrix and strength properties that are primarily the result of hardening or curing (vulcanization) of a hydraulic binder. Binders include cement, calcium sulfate or gypsum, alabaster, hemihydrate and other substances that harden after exposure to water. Hydraulically hardening binders used in the framework of the present invention should be distinguished from other cements, pastes or binders, such as polymerizable, water-insoluble organic cements, adhesives or adhesives.

 The term “inorganically filled materials”, as used in the description and in the appended claims, should broadly define materials and compounds characterized in that they have a high concentration of inorganic filler or aggregate, at least about 40% by volume of the total solids content of the dried product, water and a structural matrix, the strength properties of which are mainly obtained in the process of drying or hardening of a water-dispersible organic binder.

 The term "hydraulically settable, inorganically filled and formable mixtures, materials or compounds" should refer to mixtures regardless of the degree of drying or curing that has occurred. These mixtures should include mixtures that are highly processable, that are partially dried or cured, vulcanized, and that have been completely dried or cured, although a certain amount of water usually remains in the product as bound water in a hydraulic and organic binder.

 Molded mixtures can often contain the same components, however these components will be in a different concentration and have a different function. For example, a mixture comprising a hydraulic binder, an organic binder, fillers, fibrous materials, and water can be defined as either a hydraulically settable mixture or an organically filled mixture. As a hydraulically hardening mixture, the hydraulic binder is added in sufficient concentrations to act as the primary binder for the mixture, while the organic binder, although it probably helps as a binder, mainly acts as a rheological modifier. In contrast, as an inorganically filled mixture, a hydraulically hardening binder is added in such minimum concentrations that it primarily acts as a filler, while the organic binder acts as the primary binder. The molding compounds discussed above may also include other additives, such as plasticizers, lubricants, dispersants, and air-cavity forming agents.

 Hydraulic hardening binders.

 The terms "hydraulically settable binder" or "hydraulic binder" as used in this description and in the appended claims should include any inorganic binder, such as hydraulic cement, gypsum hemihydrate, calcium oxide, which exhibit strength and hardness by chemical reaction with water and, in some cases, with carbon dioxide in air or water. The term "hydraulic cement" or "cement", as used in this description and in the appended claims, should include clinker and crushed, ground and processed clinker at different stages of grinding and with different particle sizes.

 Typical hydraulic cements known in the art include a wide family of Portland cements, including conventional gypsum-free Portland cement, MOF cement, OSP cement, Densite cements, Pyrament cements, calcium aluminate cements, including calcium aluminate cements without hardening regulators, alabaster, silicate cements, including beta-two-ring silicates, tricalcium and mixtures thereof, gypsum cements, phosphate cements, high alumina cements, micro-fine cements, clinker-free slag cements, magnesia cements and aggregates coated with micronized cement particles. The term "hydraulic cement" should also include other cements known in the art, such as alpha-dicalcium silicates, which can be made hydraulic under hydrated conditions within the scope of the present invention.

 Gypsum is also a hydraulically settable binder, which can be hydrated to produce a settable binder. One hydratable gypsum species is calcium sulfate hemihydrate, commonly referred to as "gypsum hemihydrate". The hydrated form of gypsum is calcium sulfate dihydrate, commonly referred to as "gypsum dihydrate." Calcium sulfate hemihydrate can also be mixed with calcium sulfate anhydride, commonly referred to as "gypsum anhydrite" or simply "anhydrite."

 Although gypsum binders or other hydraulic binders, such as calcium oxide, are usually not as strong as hydraulic cement, high strength may not be as important as other characteristics, such as curing speed, in some applications. In terms of cost, gypsum and calcium oxide have an advantage over hydraulic cement because they are slightly cheaper. Moreover, in the case where the hydraulically hardening material contains a relatively high percentage of weak, lighter aggregates, such as perlite, aggregates usually contain a “weak link” in the structure of the hydraulically hardening matrix. At some point, the addition of a stronger binder may be ineffective because this binder does not already contribute its higher potential strength due to the high content of weaker fillers.

 Terms such as “hydrated” or “cured vulcanized” refer to a basic water-catalyzed reaction that is sufficient to produce a hydraulically hardening product having significant potential or ultimate maximum strength. However, hydraulically settable materials may continue to hydrate (or hydrate) after they have gained significant hardness and significant final maximum hardness.

 The term “wet” or “wet state” is used in combination with moldable mixtures that have not reached their significant final strength, regardless of whether this strength is obtained by artificial drying, curing or by other methods. They say that the moldable mixtures are "raw" or in a "raw state" only before or after they are molded into the desired shape. The moment when the moldable mixture is no longer "raw" or in a "wet state" is not necessarily a clearly defined demarcation line, since such mixtures usually reach a significant amount of their total strength only with time and gradually. Of course, moldable mixtures can exhibit an increase in their "strength of the raw sand" and still be "raw." For this reason, the discussion here is often referred to the stability of the molding material in the wet state.

 As mentioned above, preferred hydraulic binders include white cement, Portland cement, micronized cement, high alumina cement, clinker-free slag cement, gypsum hemihydrate and calcium oxide primarily because they are inexpensive to manufacture and suitable for manufacturing processes according to this invention. This list of cements is by no means exhaustive and is not intended in any way to limit the types of binders that may be suitable in the manufacture of hydraulically hardening products within the framework of the attached claims.

 An important advantage of using hydraulically settable binders in the sense of creating a hydraulically settable product matrix is that the binders are generally water repellent or even insoluble in water. However, as more fully described below, several other ingredients, including, for example, modifying the rheological properties of the substance, are soluble in water. By adjusting the equilibrium between the soluble and insoluble components in the moldable mixture, it is possible to construct an article having a desired level of water impermeability or solubility in water. As a rule, adding more hydraulic cement reduces the solubility of the product in water and increases its resistance to decomposition in water. On the contrary, the addition of less hydraulic cement and more water-soluble components, such as modifying the rheological properties of substances, leads to the fact that the product will be more susceptible to decomposition in water. Of course, the level of water repulsion or decomposition in water is a function of the working criteria of the product in question.

 The percentage of hydraulically settable binder in the entire mixture varies depending on which constituents are added. However, it is preferable to add a hydraulic binder in an amount of from about 2% to about 60% by volume of the total solids of the moldable mixture. From the presentation and examples given here, it will be understood that such a wide range of weights includes molding compounds used to produce foam or clay sheets or products.

 From the foregoing, it will be understood that the embodiments of this invention within the framework of the present invention vary only from a light “foamy” article to a “clay” article with a slightly higher density. Both foamy and clay-like materials can be easily molded into sheets that can be handled almost like paper, cardboard, plastic, polystyrene, or even metal sheet. Within these broader categories, other options and differences fall that will require varying amounts of different components. The components and their relative amounts can, in principle, vary depending on which particular product is to be made.

 In general, in the manufacture of a “foamy” article, it will be preferable to include a hydraulically settable binder in the range of about 3% to about 60% by volume of the total solids in the moldable mixture, and more preferably in the range of about 10% to about thirty%.

 In the manufacture of the “clay-like” article, it is preferable to include a hydraulically settable binder in the range of from about 2% to about 60% by volume percent of the total solids of the moldable mixture, preferably in the range of from about 4% to about 40%, and most preferably in the range of about 5% to about 30% of the total solids of the sand.

 Water-dispersible organic binders.

 In the case where the amount of hydraulically hardening binder added to the moldable mixture is significantly reduced or eliminated altogether, it is usually necessary to increase the amount of rheological modifying substance to the extent that it also acts as an organic binder. In this case, the molding sand mixtures will exhibit strength properties by drying, in principle, the solvated “water-dispersed organic binder” or “organic binder”. Of course, even when a hydraulically settable binder is used, in some cases it may be useful to incorporate a large amount of organic binder in order to increase the tensile strength and flexibility of the final cured material. The decision will often depend on economic considerations associated with the manufacture of a given product, since an organic binder is usually much more expensive than hydraulically hardening binders.

 Formable mixtures first exhibit processing and flow properties by adding a certain amount of water to the mixture sufficient to lubricate the solid inorganic filler particles and fibers and to solvate, or at least disperse, a water-dispersible organic binder. After this, the removal of water, for example, by evaporation, allows the water-dispersible binder to show its maximum strength properties.

 For example, some starch-based materials can be purchased in the form of minute granules in powder form. A starch-based binder is “activated” by dissolving and gelatinizing the starch binder in water by heating the dispersion above the gelation temperature. After the removal of water, such starch-based materials may themselves have tensile strengths of up to about 40-50 MPa. Through careful microstructural construction, highly inorganically filled products can have different tensile strengths, in some cases even approaching 40 MPa.

 A water-dispersible organic binder not only binds the individual aggregate particles and fibers to each other in the mixture after drying and hardening, which forms a structural or highly inorganically filled matrix, but they still show a general tendency to influence the rheological properties of the molding mixture. Accordingly, as used in this description and in the appended claims, the term “rheological modifying agent” is synonymous with the term “organic binder” in the definition of a particular substance. The difference is only in the amount in which such a substance is added to the mixture being formed.

 The inclusion of a rheological modifying agent or an organic binder enhances the plastic or adherent nature of the hydraulically settable mixture, so that it most likely behaves as a formable clay. The rheological modifying agent usually increases the yield strength of the mixture without significantly increasing the viscosity. An increase in the yield strength with respect to viscosity makes the material more ductile and capable of molding, and at the same time greatly increases, as a consequence, the stability of the mold and the wet strength of the molded material.

 The various rheological modifying substances or organic binders considered in the framework of the present invention can be roughly divided into the following categories: (1) polysaccharides and their derivatives, (2) proteins and their derivatives and (3) synthetic organic materials.

 The polysaccharide modifying rheological properties of the substance can be further divided into (a) cellulose-based materials and their derivatives, (b) starch-based materials and their derivatives, and (c) other polysaccharides.

 For example, suitable cellulose-based materials are methylhydraxyethyl cellulose, hydroxymethyl ethyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, methyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl propyl cellulose and the like. The full range of possible permutations is huge and cannot be listed here, but other cellulosic materials having the same similar properties will also work well.

 Suitable starch-based materials include, for example, amylopectin, amylose, seagel, starch acetates, hydroxyethyl starch esters, ionic starches, long chain alkyl starches, dextrins, amine starches, phosphate starches and dialdehyde starches.

 Other natural polysaccharide-based materials include, for example, alginic acid, phycocolloids, agra, arabic rubber, guar gum, pseudoacacia rubber (tar), Karay gum and tragacanth gum.

Suitable protein-based materials include, for example, Zein ^(R) (proline derived from grain), collagen derivatives extracted from animal connective tissue. Such as gelatin and glue and casein (the main protein in cow's milk).

 Suitable synthetic organic materials include, for example, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, polyethylene glycol, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl methyl ether, polyacrylic acids, polyacrylic acid salts, polyvinyl acrylic acids, polyvinyl acrylic salts, polyacrylimides, ethylene polymers, polyol, polymer styrene butadiene.

The currently preferred rheology modifying agent or organic binder is methyl hydroxyethyl cellulose, examples of which are Tyiose ^(R) FL 15002 and Tylose ^(R) 4000, which are supplied by Hoechst Aktiengesellschaft from Frankfurt, Germany. Another preferred rheology-modifying agent that can be used in place of or together with Tylose ^(R) is polyethylene glycol having a molecular weight of from 20,000 to 35,000. Polyethylene glycol acts more like a lubricant and adds a more even consistency to the mixture. For this reason, polyethylene glycol can definitely be called a "plasticizer." In addition, it gives the molded hydraulically hardened material a smoother surface.

Finally, polyethylene glycol can create a coating around the soluble components of the mixture and thereby make the hardened product less soluble in water. Finally, starch-based rheological modifying agents are of particular interest in the context of the present invention due to their relatively low cost compared to cellulose-based rheological modifying agents such as Tylose ^(R) . Although starches usually require heating and / or pressure to gel, starches can be modified and pre-reacted so that they can be gelled at room temperature. The fact that starches, as well as many other modifying the rheological properties of the substances listed above, have a variety of solubilities, viscosities and rheological properties, allows the careful design of the desired qualities so that they meet the specific manufacturing criteria and performance characteristics of a particular product .

 Also within the scope of this invention are mixtures of cellulose-based materials, based on a propine of materials based on starch materials and synthetic organic materials.

 The rheological modifying agent among the hydraulically settable materials of the present invention can be included in an amount in the range of from about 0.1% to about 30% by volume of the total solids in the hydraulically settable mixture.

 However, in general, a preferred concentration is in the range of from about 0.5% to about 15% volume percent of the total solids in the hydraulically settable mixture. More preferably, the amount of the rheological modifier is in the range of from about 1% to about 10%, and most preferably in the range of from about 2% to about 5%.

 The water-dispersible organic binders in the molding sand according to the present invention are preferably included in the total amount so that, in principle, the cured product made from them contains from about 1% to about 50% by volume of the organic binder of the total solids in the cured sheet, more preferably from about 2% to about 30%; and more preferably from about 5% to about 20%.

 Water.

 For inorganically filled materials, water is added to the molding sand in order to solvate or at least disperse the water-dispersible organic binder in the mixture. In many cases, water does react and chemically binds in an organic binder. In other cases, it may bind less tightly to the organic binder, often through hydrogen bonds. Certain amounts of water can also react with other impurities in the mixture, such as hydraulically hardening binders, or with other materials that chemically react with water. The hydration reaction between the hydraulically settable binder and water gives reaction products that give the hydraulically settable materials the ability to set and exhibit strength properties.

 Regardless of the type of sand, water also contributes to the formation of the sand having the desired rheological properties, including viscosity and yield strength. These properties are conventional methods for approximating the "processability" or flowability of the moldable mixture.

 In order for the moldable mixture to have adequate processability, water should mainly be included in amounts sufficient to solvate or at least disperse the organic binder in inorganically filled mixtures, and for the initial reaction with a hydraulically hardening binder in hydraulically hardening materials. Moreover, a sufficient amount of water must be added to wet each of the aggregate particles, fibers or other solid particles and at least partially fill the gaps or voids between the particles. In some cases, for example, when a dispersant or lubricant is added, the desired processing ability with a lower initial water consumption can be maintained.

 The amount of water added to the moldable mixture must be carefully balanced so that the mixture is sufficiently processable, and it must be recognized that a decrease in the initial water content increases the strength of the raw moldable mixture and the final strength of the hardened product. Less water leads to a stronger end product, since the overall porosity decreases during the molding process. Moreover, if less water is added to the molding mixture at the beginning, then less water needs to be removed in order for the molded product or sheet to harden.

 The corresponding rheology that meets these needs can be defined in terms of yield strength. Preferably, the yield strength of the molding sand is in the range of from about 2 kPa to about 5 MPa, more preferably in the range of from about 100 kPa to about 1 MPa, and most preferably in the range of from about 200 kPa to about 700 kPa. The desired level of yield strength can be optimized and adjusted in accordance with the specific molding process that is used to manufacture materials made from these substances.

 In some cases, it may be desirable to initially include a relatively large amount of water in light of the fact that excess water can then be removed by heating the article during or immediately after the molding process. You also need to understand what a hydraulically settable mixture is - a mixture in which the binder itself internally acts on the hydraulically settable mixture, since the binder particles react chemically with water and reduce the amount of free water in the spaces between the particles. This internally draining effect can be enhanced by the inclusion of rapidly reacting hydraulic binders, such as gypsum hemihydrate, together with a more slowly reacting hydraulic cement.

 As will be more fully described below, it is possible to choose the sizes of individual particles of aggregate and fibers in order to increase the packing density of the particles of the resulting molding mixture. To a large extent, the amount of water that must be added in order to obtain a molding mixture having specific rheological properties, for example, yield strength, depends on the packing density of the particles. For example, if the packing density of the particles of the molding sand is 0.65, water is included in an amount of about 35% so as to substantially fill the intermediate voids between the particles. On the other hand, a molding mixture having a particle packing density of 0.95 will require water only in an amount of about 5% by volume in order to substantially fill the intermediate voids. This is a SEVEN DECREASE in the amount of water that needs to be added to substantially fill the intermediate voids, which affects the rheological properties and the ability to process the molding mixture.

 In light of the foregoing, the amount of water that needs to be added to the mixture will largely depend on the level of packing density of the particles in the mixture, on the amount of water dispersible binder that is added, on the amount of hydraulically settable binder added and on the desired rheological properties of the resulting molding sand. Therefore, the amount of water that will be added to form the molding sand will range from only 5% to 50% by volume of the molding sand. The exact amount of water will largely depend on the volume and type of other components and impurities in the mixture. A person skilled in the art will be able to adjust the volume of water in order to obtain an adequate processing ability for any given production process.

 In most cases, it is preferable to include the minimum amount of water that is required to give the moldable mixture the desired level of processing ability, and thereby reduce the amount of water that needs to be removed from the workpiece. Reducing the amount of water to be removed usually reduces production costs, since water removal is associated with energy consumption. However, the compounds of the present invention contain much less water, even in the upper ranges of water incorporation, compared to suspensions used to make paper products that typically contain more than 95% water by volume.

 However, after removing water from the molded product, the total amount of water remaining after the drying process will reach approximately 10% by weight.

 Placeholders.

 Inorganic materials commonly used in the paper industry, as well as finely ground aggregate materials used in the concrete industry, can be used in the molding sand of the present invention. However, the particle size of the aggregate or organic filler materials will often be many times larger than the inorganic filler materials used in the paper industry. If the average particle diameter in the inorganic fillers used in the paper industry is usually less than 2 microns, then the average particle diameter in the filler materials used in the framework of the present invention will usually be up to 100 microns or more depending on the wall thickness of the resulting product and therefore, the process will generally be less expensive.

 The wide range of inorganic filler materials that can be added to the molding sand of the present invention allows the introduction of a variety of properties into the final product. The filler materials used in the present invention can be added to increase strength (tensile strength and especially compressive strength), increase the modulus of elasticity and the modulus of longitudinal elasticity (Young), reduce the cost, since the filler is inexpensive, reduce weight and / or increase the insulating ability of the resulting product. In addition, lamellar aggregates such as mica and kaolin can be used to create a smooth finished surface in the products of the present invention. Usually, larger aggregates, such as calcium carbonate, give a dull surface, while smaller particles make the surface glassy.

 Suitable inorganic aggregates include perlite, vermiculite, sand, gravel, stone, limestone, sandstone, glass beads, aerogels, xerogels, seagels, mica, clay, synthetic clay, alumina, silica, fly ash, evaporated silica, melted silica, layered alumina, kaolin, microspheres, hollow glass spheres, porous ceramic spheres, gypsum dihydrate, calcium carbonate, calcium aluminate, cork, seeds, light polymers, xonotlite (crystalline calcium silicate gel), light expanded clay, hydrated or unhydrated hydraulic particles of cement, pumice stone, stratified stone and other fossil materials. Partially hydrated and hydrated cement, as well as silica fumes, have a high surface area and give excellent mixture advantages, such as a high initial setting ability of the freshly formed product.

 Even discarded inorganically filled materials, such as discarded sheets, containers or other products, according to the present invention can be used as inert fillers and reinforcing agents. It should also be understood that sheets and other objects according to the present invention can be easily and efficiently processed if they are simply added to new molding compounds as inert fillers.

 Both clay and gypsum are particularly important aggregate materials due to their ubiquity, extremely low cost, processability, ease of molding, and because they also provide some degree of bonding and strength when added in sufficiently large quantities.

"Clay" is a concept referring to materials found in the earth and having certain chemical compositions and properties. Preferred clays include silica and alumina used for the production of pottery, tiles, bricks and pipes, and kaolin. Kaolin clay is an anauxite with the chemical formula Al ₂ O ₃ • SiO ₂ • H ₂ O and montrmorilonite with the chemical formula Al ₂ O ₃ • SiO ₂ • H ₂ O.

 However, clays can contain a wide range of other substances, such as iron oxide, titanium oxide, calcium oxide, zirconium oxide and pyrite.

 In addition, although clays have been used for thousands of years and can achieve hardness even without firing, such unfired clays are subject to degradation in the water and exposure, are extremely fragile and of low strength. However, clay is a good inexpensive aggregate in the molding materials of the present invention.

 Similarly, gypsum hemihydrate is also hydratable and forms calcium sulfate dihydrate in the presence of water. Thus, gypsum can exhibit the properties of both a filler and a binder, depending on what form and concentration — hemihydrate or dihydrate — is added to the moldable mixture.

Even hydraulic cement, such as Portland cement, can be added as an inorganic filler material in
molding compounds of the present invention. Hydraulic cements are not only relatively inexpensive and abundant, but they also give a partially binding ability to an inorganically filled matrix if incorporated in sufficiently large quantities. The reaction between hydraulically settable binders and water causes an internal drying effect in the moldable mixture, which effectively removes at least a portion of the water from the mixture without evaporation.

 Pre-hydrated particles of hydraulic cement can also be added as an inert filler. One of the differences between unhydrated and pre-hydrated cement is that the latter has a morphology of plates and plates.

 In addition, hydraulic cement can influence the rheological properties of the moldable mixture, at least in part, by a chemical reaction with water, which reduces the amount of water available for lubricating aggregate particles and fibers. In addition, it was found that gray Portland cement increases the internal cohesion of the sand. Finally, although it is not known exactly, it is possible that hydraulic cement is able to interact to some extent with the large number of hydroxyl groups present in many organic polymer binders. The hydroxyl groups of such a binder will, at a minimum, have hydrogen-like bond formation interactions with the highly polar gel products of hydraulic cement, which are known to adsorb on the surface of cement particles.

 Due to the nature of the moldable mixtures and the products obtained from them, lightweight aggregates having large interstitial spaces can be included in them to give an insulation effect to the moldable sheets. Aggregates that can make the moldable mixture light include perlite, vermiculite, glass beads, hollow glass spheres, calcium carbonate, synthetic materials such as porous ceramic spheres, plate alumina, etc., cork, light expanded clay, sand, gravel, stone, limestone, sandstone, pumice and other fossil materials.

 In addition to the traditional aggregates used in the paper and cement industry, a wide range of other aggregates can be added to the molding compounds, including fillers that give strength to substances, including metals and metal alloys such as stainless steel, calcium aluminate, iron, copper, silver and gold, balls or hollow spherical materials (such as glass, polymers and metals), metal filings, granules, powders (e.g. microsilica) and fibers (such as graphite, silica, alumina, fiberglass, polymer organic fibers and other such fibers commonly used for the manufacture of various types of composites.

 In addition to these inorganic aggregates, some organic, polymer or elastomeric aggregates are used, such as seeds, starches, gelatins, agar materials, cork or plastic spheres, which can be used as aggregate materials to impart various properties to the final product, such as flexibility. Lightweight plastic spheres are especially suitable when a combination of light weight, high flexibility and resilience is desired; these materials are used to create linings, partitions, dividers, wraps, gaskets or struts.

Preferably, the polymer sphere is made of lightweight polyethylene with a density of from 0.01 to 0.3 g / cm ³ and a particle size of less than 100 microns, although larger spheres can be used in larger packaging materials.

 In products that use light plastic spheres, such as light and flexible containers, partitions, or gasket material, the number of plastic spheres will preferably be in the range of about 1% to about 10% by weight, and most preferably in the range of about 3% up to about 6% by weight. Therefore, cushioning materials manufactured according to the present invention and containing plastic spheres are much more environmentally neutral than polystyrene materials, an almost universally selectable material for gaskets with 100% polystyrene content. Pound for pound cushioning materials according to the present invention introduce much less plastic into the environment than similar polystyrene products. If flexible aggregates, degradable in water, such as agar or amylopectin granules, are used instead of plastic balls, the core materials will in principle be non-polluting.

 It may be useful to concentrate most of the plastic balls near the surface of the product, where the need for flexibility is greatest. Similarly, near the core of the product, where durability and stiffness are more important, there may be fewer plastic balls or there may be none at all. This concentration of plastic balls near the surface of the product increases their efficiency, while at the same time reducing their number, which makes the products according to the present invention even more environmentally friendly. Such products may contain only 1% of plastic balls by weight.

 Often it is more preferable according to the present invention to include a set of aggregates of different sizes and grades capable of more fully filling the gaps between the aggregate particles and the fibers inside the moldable mixture. Optimize particle packing density to reduce the amount of water that is required to obtain the desired level of formability by eliminating gaps that would otherwise be filled with water, which is often called "capillary water."

 In order to optimize the packing density, aggregates of different sizes can be used with particle sizes ranging from only about 0.05 microns to about 2 mm. Of course, the desired purpose and thickness of the resulting product will dictate the appropriate particle sizes of the various aggregates used. A qualified person basically knows what aggregates and what sizes need to be used in order to obtain the desired rheological properties of the raw molding sand, as well as the final strength and weight of the final cured inorganically filled composite.

 In some embodiments, it may be desirable to maximize the concentration of aggregates within the moldable mixture in order to increase the properties and characteristics of the aggregates (qualities such as strength, low density or high insulating ability). Depending on the intrinsic packing density of each aggregate material and the relative particle sizes, the resulting volume of combined aggregates may be less than the sum of the aggregate volumes before mixing.

 A detailed discussion of particle packaging can be found in an article co-authored by one of the authors of the present invention: Johansen V. and Andersen P.Yu. Particle Packaging and Concrete Properties, Concrete Materials Science, II, pp. 111-147, American Ceramics Society (1991). Further information is contained in the doctoral dissertation of P. Andersen. Management and tracking in concrete production. Particle Packing and Rheology Research, Danish Academy of Technical Sciences. The advantages of such aggregate packaging can be further understood with reference to the following examples, in which hollow glass spheres of various sizes are mixed in order to maximize the number of insulating spheres in the moldable mixture.

 In exemplary embodiments in which it is desirable to obtain an article having a high insulation ability, it may be preferable to include a highly inorganically filled lightweight aggregate matrix having low thermal conductivity or “factor k” (defined in W / m · K). Factor k is, roughly speaking, the inverse of the expression commonly used in the United States to describe the total thermal resistance of a given material, or the “factor R,” which is usually defined in units of hour • sq. ft • g Fahrenheit / British Thermal Unit (BTU). The concept of factor R is most widely used in the United States to describe the total thermal resistance of a given material, regardless of the thickness of the material. However, for comparison purposes, it is customary to normalize the R factor to describe the thermal resistance per inch of the thickness of a given material or hour • sq. Ft • g, Fahrenheit / BTU • inch.

 For the purposes of this description, the insulating ability of this material will be expressed below only in terms of the IUPAC method for describing thermal conductivity, i.e. "factor k". (The conversion of the thermal resistance, expressed in British units (hour • sq. Ft. • Pharengent / BTU • inch), into IUPAC units can be done by multiplying the normalized number by 6.9335 and taking the reciprocal of the product). In general, aggregates with a very low k factor also contain large amounts of entrained intermediate space, air, mixtures or gases, or partial vacuum, which also typically greatly reduces the strength of such aggregates. Therefore, concerns about insulation and strength are usually contradictory to each other and must be carefully balanced when selecting a specific mixture.

 Preferred insulating lightweight aggregates include expanded or delaminated vermiculite, perlite, calcined diatomaceous earth, and hollow glass spheres, all of which typically contain large amounts of interstitial spaces included. However, this list should in no way be exhaustive, as these placeholders are selected because of their low cost and ubiquity. Any aggregate with a low factor k capable of imparting sufficient insulating properties to a sheet or other product made therefrom is within the scope of the present invention.

 In light of the foregoing, the inorganic aggregate will preferably be included in amounts of only about 40% by volume of the total solids content of the hardened sheet and in amounts up to about 98%, more preferably in the range of from about 50% to about 95%, and most preferably in the range from about 60% to about 80% by volume of the total solids.

Fibers
Used in this description and in the attached claims, the terms "fibers" and "fibrous materials" include both inorganic and organic fibers. Fibers are a special type of aggregate that can be added to molding sand to increase elongation, bending, stiffness, tensile energy and tensile and bending strength of molded products. Fibrous materials reduce the likelihood that molded products and containers will crush when a large force is applied in the direction of their cross section.

 Fibers that can be incorporated into molding materials are preferably naturally occurring fibers, such as cellulose fibers, fibers extracted from hemp, cotton, plant leaves, wood or stems, or fibers made from fiber, silica (silica), graphite, ceramics or metal. Preferably, the glass fibers are pretreated to become alkali resistant.

 Preferred fibers include glass fibers, manila hemp, bagasse, wood fibers (both hard and soft wood, such as southern pine), ceramic fibers (such as alumina, silica nitride, silica carbide, graphite) and cotton. Recycled paper fibers can be used, but they are somewhat less desirable due to the decomposition of the fibers in them that occurs in the initial paper making process, as well as in the processing process. However, any equivalent fiber imparting strength and flexibility is also within the scope of the present invention. Manila hemp fibers are available from Isarog Inc. in the Philippines. Glass fibers such as Cemfill (R) are available from the English company Pilkington Corp.

 These fibers are preferably used in this invention due to their low cost, high strength and ubiquity. However, any equivalent fiber imparting the necessary tensile and compressive strength, as well as rigidity and flexibility, of course, is within the scope of the present invention. The only limiting criterion is that the fiber imparts the desired properties without adverse reaction with other components of the material being molded and does not contaminate materials (such as food) stored or sold in products made from fiber-containing materials.

 The fibers used to make the articles and containers of the present invention preferably have a high length to width ratio (or “aspect ratio”). Longer and narrower fibers can give more strength to the structural matrix, slightly increasing the volume and weight of composite materials. The fibers should have an average aspect ratio of at least about 10: 1, preferably at least about 100: 1, and most preferably at least about 200: 1.

 The amount of materials added to the molding material will vary depending on the desired properties of the final product, and strength, stiffness, flexibility and cost are the main criteria in determining the amount of fiber to be added to any mixture. In most cases, the fibers will be added in an amount in the range of from about 0.2% to about 50% of the total solids content of the sand, more preferably in the range of from about 1% to about 30%, and most preferably in the range of from about 5% to about 20% of the total solids in the sand.

 It has been found that small increases in fiber concentration below about 20% fiber by volume usually dramatically increase the strength, stiffness and bending resistance of the finished product. Adding fibers above a level of approximately 20% by volume will cause a less dramatic increase in product strength and flexibility, although such increases may be economically justified in specific cases.

 However, it will be understood that fiber strength is a very important characteristic in determining the amount of fiber to be used. The greater the tensile strength of the fiber, the smaller the amount that must be used to obtain the same level of tensile strength in the resulting product. Of course, while some fibers have a high tensile strength, other types of fibers with a lower tensile strength may be more elastic. Fibers with a lower aspect ratio are easier to place and produce a sheet with fewer defects, while a higher aspect ratio increases the strength of the fiber. Therefore, a combination of two or more kinds of fibers may be desirable to produce a resulting product that enhances numerous properties such as high tensile strength, high elasticity and better fiber placement.

 You must also understand that some fibers, such as southern pine and manila hemp, have high resistance to tearing and bursting. Others, such as cotton, are less durable, but more flexible. In some cases, when better placement, greater flexibility and higher tearing and bursting resistance are required, a mixture of fibers having different properties can be added to the mixture.

 Finally, it is known that some fibers and inorganic fillers chemically interact and bind to some starch-based organic polymer binders, thereby adding another dimension to the materials of the present invention. For example, it is known that many fibers and inorganic fillers are anionic in nature and have a negative charge. Therefore, in order to maximize the interaction between the organic binder and the anionic fibers and inorganic materials, it may be useful to add a positively charged organic binder, such as cationic starch.

Better water resistance can be obtained by treating the fibers with rosin and alum (Al ₂ / SO _4/3) or NaAl / SO _4/2, the latter of which precipitates out the rosin onto the fiber surface, making it more hydrophobic. The alumina flakes formed by alum create an anionic adsorption site on the surface of the fibers for a positively charged organic binder such as cationic starch.

 Dispersants

 The term "dispersant" is used below to indicate the class of materials that can be added to reduce the viscosity and yield strength of the moldable mixture. A more detailed description of the use of dispersants can be found in Andersen P.Yu. The effects of organic superplasticizing additives and their components on the zeta potential and related properties of cement materials (1987).

 In general, dispersants are adsorbed on the surface of aggregates, particles of a hydraulic binder, and / or on the proximal colloidal double layer of binder particles. This creates a negative charge around the surface of the particles, causing them to repel each other. This repulsion of particles enhances “lubrication” by reducing “friction” or attractive forces that otherwise cause particles to interact more strongly. Thanks to this, you can first add less water, while maintaining the machinability of the moldable mixture.

 A significant reduction in viscosity and yield strength can be achieved when ductility, adhesion, and / or shape stability are less important. Adding dispersant helps keep the moldable mixture workable even when very small amounts of water are added.

However, due to the nature of the coating mechanism, the sequence in which the dispersant is added to the mixture can often play a decisive role. If some water-dispersible organic binders (such as Tylose ^{(R)) are used} , the dispersant should be added to the mixture containing water and at least part of the inorganic aggregates, first and then the binder must be added. Otherwise, the dispersant will be less adsorbed to the surface of the aggregate particles, because Tylose ^(R) will be irreversibly adsorbed first, forming a protective colloid on the surface and preventing dispersant adsorption.

 A preferred dispersant is a sulfonated naphthylene-formaldehyde condensate, a sample of which is sold under the trademark WRDA 19, manufactured by W. R. Grace, Inc. Other dispersants that may also work well include sulfonated melamine formaldehyde condensate, lignosulfonate and polyacrylic acid. The concentration of dispersant will generally range from about 5% by weight of water, more preferably from about 0.5% to about 4%, and most preferably from about 1% to about 2%.

 The dispersants contemplated by the present invention are sometimes referred to in the concrete industry as "superplasticizers." In order to better distinguish dispersants from other rheological modifying substances that often act as plasticizers, the term “superplasticizer” will not be used in this description.

 Air voids.

 If not strength, but insulation is the dominant factor, i.e. if it is desired to isolate hot or cold materials, it may be desirable to include minute air voids in the structural matrix of the products in addition to lightweight aggregates to enhance the insulating properties of the products. The inclusion of air voids in the molding mixture is carefully calculated to give the necessary insulating properties, without compromising the strength of the product to the extent of impossibility of its use. However, in the general case, if insulation is not an important feature of a particular product, it is advisable to minimize all air voids in order to maximize strength and reduce volume.

 In some embodiments, finely dispersed air voids can be introduced with high speed mixing with a high shear of the moldable mixture, with a foaming or stabilizing agent being added to the mixture to help form voids. The high-energy high shear mixers described above are particularly suitable for achieving this desired goal. Suitable air-entraining agents include commonly used surfactants and vinsol resin. One of the currently preferred surfactants is an alkylene polyol polypeptide such as Mearlcrete Foam Liquid.

 In combination with a surfactant, it will be necessary to stabilize the entrained air in the material using a stabilizing agent, for example, Mearlcel 3532 ', a synthetic liquid biodegradable solution. Both Mearlcrete 'and Mearlcel' are supplied by Mearl Corporation of New Jersey. In addition, an organic polymer binder can stabilize the entrained air.

 Foam stability helps maintain dispersion and prevents agglomeration of air voids in the uncured sand. Failure to prevent the coalescence of air voids actually reduces the effect of isolation, and this also greatly reduces the strength of the hardened molding sand. Raising the pH, increasing the concentration of soluble alkali metals such as sodium and potassium, adding a stabilizing substance, such as a polysaccharide, a rheological modifier, and carefully adjusting the concentration of surfactant and water in the molding sand, all help to increase the stability of the foam of the mixture.

 During the molding process and / or hardening of the molding sand, it is often desirable to heat the molding sand to increase the volume of air voids. Heating also promotes the rapid removal of a significant amount of water from the moldable mixture, thereby increasing the strength of the raw moldable mixture of the molded product.

If gas was included in the molding sand, then heating the mixture, for example, to 250 ^° C. will lead (according to the ideal gas equation) to a gas volume increase of approximately 85%. It has been found that it is desirable to conduct heating in a temperature range of from about 100 ^° C. to about 250 ^° C. The upper limit is determined by adverse reactions in the moldable mixture, such as burning of fibers or an organic binder, that may occur. More importantly, this is control during the heating process, with proper control, heating will not lead to the splitting of the structural matrix of the product and will not cause defects in the texture of the surface of the product.

 Another foaming agent is a mixture of citric acid and bicarbonate or bicarbonate, which has been converted into small granules or particles and coated with wax, starch or water-soluble coatings.

This can be used in the formation of voids in two ways: (1) for reaction with water to form CO ₂ gas in order to create a cellular foam structure in the structural matrix or (2) to pack particles as part of the matrix and, after the matrix has hardened, remove foam particles by heating the product above 180 ^° C, which causes endothermic decomposition of the particles, leaving a well-controlled lightweight cellular structure.

 In other applications, if the viscosity of the moldable mixture is high, it may be difficult to obtain an adequate amount of air voids by mixing with high shear. In this case, as an alternative, air voids can be introduced into the moldable mixture by adding an easily oxidizable metal, such as aluminum, magnesium, zinc or tin, to a mixture that is either naturally alkaline (such as a mixture containing hydraulic cement or calcium oxide), or has been made alkaline by adding a strong base such as sodium hydroxide. This reaction leads to the release of tiny hydrogen bubbles throughout the moldable mixture.

It may be desirable to heat the mixture to initiate a chemical reaction and increase the rate of formation of hydrogen bubbles. Heating the molded product to a temperature in the range of from about 50 ^° C to about 100 ^° C and preferably from about 75 ^° C to about 85 ^° C helps to effectively control the reaction and also removes a significant amount of water. Again, this heating process can be controlled so that it does not lead to the formation of cracks in the matrix of the molded product.

 This second method of introducing air cavities into the structural matrix can be used in conjunction with the introduction of air by high speed mixing with high shear, or instead in the case of molding mixtures with lower viscosity.

 Finally, air cavities can be introduced into the moldable mixture during the molding process by adding a swellable substance to the mixture, which will expand when heat is applied to the mixture. Typically, swellable substances consist of a low boiling point liquid and finely divided absorbent material, such as calcium carbonate (chalk). Chalk and swellable substance are uniformly introduced into the moldable mixture and held under pressure when heated. A liquid swellable substance penetrates into the pores of individual chalk particles, which act as points from which the swellable substance can be converted into steam after the chemical expansion of the swellable substance with a sudden decrease in pressure.

 During the molding or displacement process, the mixture can be heated while compressing it. If heating will usually cause the swellable substance to evaporate, an increase in pressure prevents the substance from evaporating, which creates a temporary equilibrium. When the pressure decreases after molding or extrusion of the material, the swellable substance evaporates, thereby expanding or "swelling" the moldable material. Water can also act as a blowing agent if the mixture is heated at a temperature above the boiling point of water and is kept under pressure up to 50 bar.

 Air voids increase the insulating properties of sheets and other products made from them, and also greatly reduce bulk density, and therefore the weight of the final product. This reduces the total mass of the resulting product, which reduces the amount of material required for the manufacture of the product, and that reduces the amount of material that will eventually be discarded in the case of a disposable product.

 Hardening accelerators.

In some cases, it may be desirable to accelerate the initial hardening of a hydraulically hardening mixture by adding an appropriate hardening accelerator to the mixture. These include Na ₂ CO ₃ , K ₂ CO ₃ , KOH, NaOH, CaCl ₂ , CO ₂ , triethanolamine. aluminates, and inorganic alkaline salts of strong acids, such as HCl, HNO ₃ , H ₂ SO ₄ . In fact, any compound that increases the solubility of gypsum and Ca (OH) will usually accelerate the initial hardening of hydraulically hardening mixtures, especially cementitious mixtures.

 The amount of hardening accelerator that can be added to a particular hydraulically settable mixture will depend on the degree of hardening acceleration required. This, in turn, will depend on a variety of factors, including the composition of the mixture, the time interval between the stages of mixing the components and the molding or displacement of a hydraulically hardening mixture, the temperature of the mixture and the particular hardening accelerator.

 An ordinary specialist will be able to adjust the amount of hardening accelerator to be added according to the parameters of a particular production process in order to optimize the curing time of a hydraulically hardening mixture. Based on the percentage of hydraulically settable binder in the inorganically filled mixture, the hardening accelerator can also increase the rate of hardening or curing of the inorganically filled mixture.

 Specific conversions of materials to products.

 A key structural component that gives strength to industrial products according to the present invention is a structural matrix formed by the interaction of water with a hydraulically hardening binder and / or organic polymer binder. The structural matrix contains other components (for example, filler fibers, air voids, modifying the rheological properties of the substance, dispersants and even accelerators), which add additional properties to the materials.

 The effect of components on the rheological properties of the mixture.

 The amount of water that needs to be added in order to obtain a mixture having adequate workability and fluidity will depend on the concentration and packing density of the particles of inorganic filler or aggregate, on the number of fibers, on the type of amount of organic binder, on the type of amount of hydraulically hardening binder, on the type and amount of other additives (such as dispersants, plasticizers and lubricants). However, in the general case, adding more water will lower the viscosity and yield strength of the molding mixture, thereby increasing the fluidity of the mixture and reducing the stability of the shape of the molded object.

 A water-dispersible organic polymer binder can significantly affect the rheological properties of the mixture depending on the type, concentration and degree of gelation of the organic binder. As described above, preferred organic binders can be roughly divided into the following categories: cellulose based, starch based, protein (protein) based, polysaccharide based, and synthetic organic binders. Within each of these broader categories, there are numerous subcategories and divisions. The unifying feature of each of these materials is that they are generally soluble in water or at least almost completely dispersed by water. Therefore, they require adequate levels of water for their dispersion and activation (including gelation) in the moldable mixture.

However, organic polymeric binders have significantly varying levels of water solubility or dispersibility, as well as varying levels of viscosity and yield strength. Organic polymers belonging to the same class can have significantly different viscosity values depending on molecular weight. For example, a 2% Tylose (R) FL15002 solution at 20 ^° C has a viscosity of about 15,000 cps, while a similar Tylose (R) 4000 solution has a viscosity of about 4000 cps. The former greatly increases the yield strength and plastic-like properties of the moldable mixture, while the latter may act more as a lubricant or plasticizer.

 Other organic polymers react at different speeds and at different temperatures in water.

 Although many organic polymeric binders, such as Tylose (R), do not polymerize or depolymerize when added to the molding sand, but rather gel and then dry to form a bond forming matrix, it is contemplated by the invention to add water soluble or water dispersible polymerize units into the molding sand, which then polymerize over time in place. The speed of the polymerization reaction can be controlled by adjusting the temperature of the mixture and / or adding a catalyst or inhibitor. Polymerizable units that can be added to the moldable mixture include monomers forming Cellosize and latex.

 With respect to gelation, most cellulose-based polymers (such as Tylose (R)) will easily gel in water at room temperature. Others, such as many starches, will gel in water only at elevated temperatures. However, some modified starches may gel at room temperature. Therefore, polymeric binders based on cellulose and modified starch are useful in that a moldable mixture can be formed from them at room temperature. However, they are generally significantly more expensive than conventional starch-based polymers that need to be heated to gel. A preferred starch-based polymer is National 51-6912, which is sold by National Starch.

 Depending on the desired rheological properties of the moldable mixture, including, if desired, the effect on viscosity or yield strength as a function of time or temperature, it may be preferable to add a number of different organic polymeric binders to the moldable mixture.

 Cellulose-based organic polymeric binders will generally achieve their maximum rheological effect almost immediately, while polymerizable binders will harden over time, and starch-based binders will harden with increasing temperature of the mixture.

 Hydraulically hardening binders, such as hydraulic cement, gypsum hemihydrate and calcium oxide, can influence the rheological properties of the molding sand, especially over time, when they react with the mixture water. Hydraulically hardening binders chemically react with water, thereby lowering the effective water level in the moldable mixture without having to resort to heating or drying methods. Hydraulic cement also increases the adhesion strength of a crude inorganically filled mixture and a new product made from it.

 Other impurities that can be added to directly influence the rheological properties of the moldable mixture include dispersants, plasticizers and lubricants. Dispersants, such as sulfonyl-based materials, greatly reduce viscosity and increase the workability of the moldable mixture while maintaining a constant amount of water. A natural consequence is that the use of dispersant allows you to include less water while maintaining the same level of workability. The preferred plasticizer and lubricant is polyethylene glycol.

 The amount, type and packing density of aggregate particles can greatly affect the rheological properties and workability of the mixture.

 Porous aggregates and large surface area aggregates will typically absorb more water than non-porous aggregates, thereby reducing the amount of water available to “lubricate” the particles. This results in a harder, more viscous mixture. The packing density of the particles can significantly affect the rheological properties of the mixture by limiting the amount of intermediate space that should generally be filled with water, lubricants, organic polymers or other liquids so that the mixture can flow.

 In such situations, when the moldable mixture will be subjected to high pressures, for example, during the displacement of the mixture or other molding processes using high pressure, it may be possible to take advantage of the interaction of the principles of particle packing and the lack of water to temporarily increase the workability and fluidity during compression of the mixture. For these purposes, in the description and the attached claims, the concepts of "lack of water" or "water deficiency" should refer to a molding mixture in which there is a lack of water (and other liquids) necessary to completely fill the intermediate space between the particles. Therefore, water is not enough to adequately "lubricate" the particles.

 However, after applying a pressure large enough to temporarily increase the packing density of the particles, the amount of intermediate space between the particles will decrease. Since the water is incompressible and retains the same volume under pressure, increased pressure increases the visible amount of water available to “lubricate” the particles, thereby increasing the workability and fluidity of the mixture.

 After depressurization, usually after the molding process is completed, the aggregate particles will disperse slightly, thereby increasing the amount of intermediate space and creating a partial internal vacuum. This leads to an almost immediate increase in mold stability and wet strength.

 Finally, other solid components in the mixture, such as fibers, will affect the rheological properties of the mixture in the same way as aggregates do. Some fibers can absorb water depending on their porosity and ability to swell. In addition, some fibers can be processed to obtain an ionic charge, which allows them to chemically interact with ionically charged organic plasticizers, such as ionic starches.

 The effect of components on final properties.

 In relation to the final dried or hardened product, some of the properties considered mainly desirable for their inclusion in the structural matrix of products include high tensile strength (mainly along specific vectors), bending strength, flexibility and the ability to elongate, bend or bend . In some cases, it may be desirable to obtain products that, in principle, include the properties of existing products from paper, cardboard or plastic. However, in other cases, it may be desirable to obtain a structural matrix having properties that cannot be obtained using traditional materials. These may include increased stiffness, higher modulus, water resistance, and lower bulk density.

 Unlike wood paper or paperboard, in which the properties of sheets and subsequent products are highly dependent on the properties of the paper pulp used, the properties of the products according to the present invention are in principle independent of the properties of the fibers used in preparing the molding mixture. Of course, using longer, more flexible fibers will give more flexibility to the product than using shorter, less bendable fibers. However, properties that are mainly dependent on paper pulp in traditional paper can be “embedded” in products according to the present invention by controlling the concentrations of non-fibrous components of the moldable mixture, as well as the processing methods used. Properties such as density, stiffness, surface finish, porosity, etc., in the General case, do not depend on the type of fibers included in these products.

 Flexibility, tensile strength, bending strength or module can be adapted to specific performance criteria of a sheet, container or other object made from these materials by changing the components and the relative concentrations of the components in the molding sand. In some cases, higher tensile strength can be an important feature. In other cases, it may be less important. Some products should preferably be more flexible, while others should be stiff. Some will be relatively dense, others will be thicker, lighter and more insulating. It is important to obtain material having properties corresponding to a particular use, while recognizing the cost and other practical parameters of the production line. If having “too much” or “too little” of a particular property may not be important from the point of view of operating parameters, then from the point of view of cost this may turn out to be a waste or it will be ineffective to provide a specific property.

 In general, increasing the amount of organic polymer binder will increase the tensile and bending strengths of the final hardened product, while significantly increasing its flexibility and elasticity. Adding more organic polymer also reduces the stiffness of the product. Similarly, an increase in the concentration of fibers within the mixture also increases the tensile strength of the final product, in particular an increase in the concentration of fibers with higher tensile strength, such as ceramic fibers, although such fibers are stiff and give a relatively hard hardened product. Conversely, the addition of flexible fibers, such as natural cellulosic fibers, will greatly increase flexibility as well as tensile strength, tear and burst resistance of the product.

 Different fibers have widely varying degrees of resistance to tearing and bursting, flexibility, tensile strength, and the ability to elongate without breaking and stiffness. In order to obtain advantageous properties from different types of fibers, in some cases it may be preferable to combine two or more kinds of fibers in the molding sand.

 Some molding processes, such as extrusion and rolling, usually orient the fibers in the direction of elongation of the mixture. This can be used to maximize the tensile strength of the product or sheet in a certain direction.

 For example, if the sheet forming the product is required to be bent along the rod, it is preferable that the fibers are oriented so as to more effectively connect the two sides of the rod or bend, being oriented perpendicular to the fold line. It may be desirable to concentrate a larger number of fibers in the region of the rod or where the sheet requires increased stiffness and strength.

 The type of aggregate may also affect the properties of the final hardened product. Aggregates containing mainly solid, inflexible, small particles, such as clay, kaolin or chalk, will generally lead to a product with a smooth surface and with increased brittleness. Lightweight aggregates, such as perlite or hollow glass spheres, result in products with lower density, lower brittleness and with greater insulating ability. Aggregates such as crushed sand, silica (silica), gypsum or clay are extremely cheap and can greatly reduce the cost of manufacturing products. Any material with a large specific surface area gives increased shrinkage during drying and shrinkage defects. Materials with a smaller specific surface area are advantageous because they are less sticky, which helps prevent the mixture from sticking to the molding apparatus.

 Hydraulically hardening binders, such as hydraulic cement, gypsum hemihydrate and calcium oxide, provide a small to significant degree of bond formation within the hardened product, depending on the amount in which such hydraulically hardening binders are added. Such binders increase rigidity and compressive strength of the final product and, to some extent, tensile strength.

 Hydraulic cement can also reduce the solubility of the product in water, thereby increasing the resistance of the product to degradation in water.

 Finally, other additives in the moldable mixtures can impart water resistance to the final product, for example, adding rosin and alum to the mixture. They interact with the formation of a water-resistant component in the structural matrix. In the absence of significant quantities of such water-repellents, water can be used to rewet the product and temporarily increase flexibility, bending and elongation to break. This is especially useful if the mixture is first molded into a sheet, which is subsequently converted into another industrial product, such as a container. Of course, water can also facilitate decomposition of the product after it has been discarded. Water resistance can be improved by treating the surface of the product with a 5-10% percent starch solution to seal the surface pores.

 As a general rule, products containing organic polymer binders and fibers, but high concentrations of hydraulically hardening binders, have a higher insulating ability, have higher compressive strength, resist heat damage, have lower tensile strength and are resistant to decomposition in water.

 Products having lower concentrations of organic binder, but a higher fiber content and hydraulically hardening binder, will have higher tensile strength, compressive strength and stiffness, but have less bending and rigidity, more moderate flexibility and will be significantly resistant to decomposition in water.

 Products having higher concentrations of organic polymeric binder and lower concentrations of fibers and hydraulically hardening binder will be more soluble and prone to splitting in water, more capable of forming, allowing the manufacture of thinner products, will have relatively moderate tensile and compressive strength will be tougher, with moderate flexibility and lower strength.

 Finally, products having higher concentrations of organic polymer binder and fiber, but low concentrations of hydraulically hardening binder, will have properties that are most similar to paper, both wood paper and plant paper, will have higher tensile strength, stiffness and resistance to folding, will have moderate compressive strength, have a very low resistance to splitting in water, will have lower heat resistance, especially those that approach the point of ignition of the fibers or to the decomposition temperature of the binder, and will have higher flexibility and lower stiffness.

Products made using the compounds described herein preferably have a tensile strength in the range from about 0.05 MPa to about 70 MPa, and more preferably in the range from about 5 MPa to about 40 MPa. In addition, preferably the articles have a bulk density in the range of from about 0.6 g / cm ³ to about 2 g / cm ³ . Which product will have a density at the lowest, intermediate or higher level of this range will mainly depend on the performance properties desired for a given application. In light of the foregoing, articles according to the present invention will preferably have a tensile strength to bulk density ratio in the range of from about 2 MPa-cm ³ / g to about 200 MPa-cm ³ / g and more preferably in the range of from about 2 MPa-cm ³ / g to about 50 MPa-cm ³ / g

 Strength qualities that vary depending on the direction of the molding of sheets used for the manufacture of products according to the present invention, should be compared with similar qualities of paper, which, as you know, has a strong and weak direction in relation to tensile strength and wear resistance. The strong direction in traditional paper is the direction along the machine, and the weak direction is the direction across the machine. While the strength ratio in the strong and weak directions for plain paper is about 3: 1, for products according to the present invention it is about 2: 1, which may approach a ratio of 1: 1 depending on the particular forming process used. In general, decreasing the differential spinning speed allows the fibers to be more arbitrarily oriented.

 The term "elongated", used in this description and in the attached claims, in relation to products according to this invention, means that the structural matrix of the product is able to stretch without a fundamental gap. The ability of the structural matrix of an article to extend to rupture can be measured by an Instron tensile test or by a tensile test.

 By optimizing the composition of the mixture, it is possible to produce a freshly formed article having a structural matrix capable of elongating up to about 20% until rupture occurs, and after drying from about 0.5 to 8%. This is usually done by optimizing the amounts of fiber and organic binder in the sand and in the resulting matrix. A product having a structural matrix capable of elongation in a certain range can be obtained by incorporating fibers into the molding mixture in an amount up to about 50% by volume. The greater the number of fibers or organic binder added to the mixture, or the better the interface between the matrix and the fiber, the greater elongation without breaking the product can be achieved. In addition, the elongation of the dry sheet can be increased by adding steam or moisture to the sheet up to about 10% by weight of the dry sheet. However, re-wetting temporarily reduces the strength of the sheet until then, until it is again dried.

 Higher tensile strength, as well as higher elongation, can generally be obtained by increasing the number of fibers in the structural matrix. This can be achieved by adding a large amount of fibers to the molding sand or, alternatively, by applying a layer of fibers, such as a sheet of paper, to the surface or inside of the product, or by combining fibers having different strength and flexibility properties.

 The term “sag”, as used in this description and in the appended claims, refers to the ability of a dried sheet or article to bend or roll without tearing or altering the finished surface. The ability of the product to bend is checked by measuring the modulus of elasticity and the energy of sheet tearing using means known in the art. As with any material, the ability to bend an article made in accordance with the present invention mainly depends on the wall thickness of the article.

 One way to measure deflection regardless of wall thickness is to define deflection as the relative elongation of one side of the wall compared to the other side. When the wall rolls or bends relative to the axis, the other side of the wall will lengthen, while in the general case, the inner side will not lengthen. Consequently, a product with a thinner wall can be bent to a much greater degree, even if the relative elongation of the outer side compared with the elongation of the inner side is approximately the same as in a thicker sheet that can not be bent.

During the process of forming the dried sheet into an appropriate article, the bending ability of the sheet can be temporarily increased by re-wetting with water. Believed
that water is absorbed by the fibers, water dispersible organic binder and the gaps between the filler particles. After drying the molded sheet, the level of bending ability will generally decrease, while stiffness and hardness will generally increase.

 In order to obtain a sheet having a desired level of strength, bending ability, insulation, hardness, weight and other working criteria, it is possible to change the sheet thickness by adjusting the distance between the rollers. Depending on the thickness and the desired operational properties, it is possible to choose components and their relative concentrations corresponding to a particular sheet thickness. The sheets of the present invention can be designed to have widely varying thicknesses, however, most products requiring a thin-wall material will generally have a thickness in the range of from about 0.01 mm to about 3 mm. However, in applications where insulation ability or higher strength or stiffness are more important, sheet thickness can be up to 1 cm.

 The preferred thickness of the sheets according to the present invention will vary depending on the proposed use of the sheet, container or items made therefrom. By way of example only, if greater flexibility is desired, a thinner sheet is generally preferred. Conversely, when strength, durability and / or insulation are most important, rather than flexibility, a thicker sheet is generally preferable. However, if it is desired to bend the sheets into a notch or at least roll them into products, it is preferable that the sheets have a thickness in the range of from about 0.05 mm to about 2 mm or more, and more preferably in the range of from about 0.15 mm to approximately 1 mm.

 As discussed above, the moldable mixture is selected at the microstructural level in such a way that it has certain desirable properties, both the mixture itself and the final hardened material. Therefore, it is important to note the amount of material added during the introduction of additives in the production of individual lots or in continuous production.

 Methods and processing conditions.

 The main processing methods and conditions include: (1) preparing the appropriate molding mixture (whether it is a hydraulically hardening mixture or an inorganically filled mixture; (2) molding the mixture into the desired product, including molding the product from the molded primary product; (3) increasing the stability of the mold products; (4) forming the product; and (5) optionally processing the molded product, such as drying the molded product using accelerated methods, coating, printing and changing surface quality, etc.

 Preparation of molding sand.

 Although a wide variety of molding and blending processes can be used in the manufacture of articles within the scope of the present invention, the mixing processes remain essentially the same. Of course, you need to use different equipment in order to conveniently ensure the supply of raw materials to the molding equipment.

 At a minimum, some of the components used to produce the appropriate moldable mixture are preferably mixed using high shear mixers. High shear mixing ensures uniform distribution of a hydraulically settable binder, organic binder, water, dispersants, fibers, strong aggregates and other additives. High shear mixing improves the rheological properties of the mixture and increases the strength and uniformity of the final hardened product.

 High shear mixing can be used to produce finely dispersed air voids in the moldable mixture using an air entraining agent. In cases where a hydraulically hardening binder, such as hydraulic cement or calcium oxide, is added to the mixture, it may be useful to fill the atmosphere above the mixer with a high shear force of carbon dioxide so that the carbon dioxide reacts with the mixture. It has been found that carbon dioxide can increase the stability of the foam of the sand and cause false earlier setting of hydraulic cement. This component also reacts with calcium oxide to form calcium carbonate as an insoluble precipitate forming bond.

 High shear mixers useful for creating more homogeneous mixtures, as described herein, are disclosed and claimed in US Pat. No. 4,225,247 under the heading “Mixing and Shaking Device” in US Pat. No. 4,552,463 under the heading “Method and apparatus for producing colloidal mixtures ", in US patent N 4889428 under the name" Rotary mill ", in US patent N 4944595 under the heading" Equipment for the production of building materials from cement "and in US patent N 5061319 under the heading" Process for the production of building material from concrete ".

 Other mixers are capable of imparting varying degrees of shear to the moldable mixture. For example, the kneading machine of FIG. 1 gives a greater shear force compared to a conventional concrete mixer, but this force is weaker compared to an intensive air mixer or a double extruder for food products such as a “neck”.

 Aggregates introduced at higher concentrations as well as lightweight aggregates are mainly mixed using low shear mixing. Many lightweight aggregates, such as perlite or hollow glass spheres, cannot withstand high shear without breaking.

 In a typical laboratory mixing process, the respective components are mixed using a stirrer at high speed and with high shear for about 1 minute. After that, the remaining components are mixed using a low speed, low shear mixer for approximately 5 minutes. Therefore, the total mixing time per batch of material is about 6 minutes, although this period of time can be used depending on the nature of the molded mixture. In industry, the mixing process can be significantly reduced in time by using appropriate mixers; specifically, a mixing method using a continuous mixing system is currently preferred.

 In one embodiment of the invention, a cement mixer is used, capable of both high and low shear mixing, and capable of measuring and mixing batch materials. In another example, a high shear mixer can be used to initially mix the components of the moldable mixture. After this, the mixture can be transferred to the mixer with less shear to complete the mixing process. In another embodiment, the mixing process can be combined with a displacement (extrusion) process using modern extruder equipment, which includes a mixing chamber with high shear.

 A currently preferred embodiment of the invention for industrial hardening is equipment in which the materials included in the moldable mixture are automatically and continuously measured, mixed, deaerated and extruded using a double extruder of the “neck” type. In FIG. 1 shows a double extruder of the “neck” type 12, which includes feeding means supplying the molding mixture to the first inner chamber 16 of the extruder 12. Inside the first inner chamber 16, there is a first auger-type screw 13, which simultaneously mixes and exerts the mixture on it forward pressure by advancing the mixture through the first inner chamber 16 to the evacuation chamber 20. Typically, negative pressure or vacuum is created in the evacuation chamber to remove unnecessary air voids from the moldable mixture. After that, the molding mixture is fed into the second inner chamber 22. The second auger-type screw 24 will advance the mixture to the die head 26. The auger-type screws 18 and 24 can be made in different steps and have different orientations to help advance the mixture or to increase or decrease the shear force.

 A double extruder 12 may be used to independently mix the components of the molding sand or, as shown in FIG. 7, it can be powered by a stirrer. A preferred twin neck extruder uses uniform rotating screws, with the screws rotating in the same direction. Double extruders rotating in the opposite direction when the screws rotate in opposite directions serve the same purpose. For this purpose, you can use a clay mill. Equipment that meets these specifications is available from Buhler-Miag, Inc in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

 The internal parts of the mixer can be made of stainless steel, since the attrition of the mixer is small due to the relatively high water content. However, to extend the service life, the parts of the mixer can be coated with carbide, which makes it possible to increase their resistance to any abrasion that occurs when mixing a mixture containing aggregates and hydraulically hardening binder.

 Since the molding sand at the microstructural level must have certain properties, it is important to accurately dose the amount of each material added to the molding sand.

 The main molding process.

 The initial molding process.

 The term "molding" as used in this description and in the appended claims should include specific molding methods, which are given here as an example, as well as well-known specialists in such materials as clay, ceramics and plastics. Preferred examples of forming methods include “injection molding”, “injection molding”, “blow molding”, “Jigger”, “dry sheet molding” and “wet sheet” molding. Detailed descriptions of these methods are more fully set forth below. The term "molding" should also include heating the molded product in order to expand or / and increase the stability of the shape of the product and the removal of products from the matrix, which is also called decoupling.

 During any appropriate molding process, the compression necessary to give the desired shape to the mixture or sheet formed from the inorganically filled mixture is achieved by mechanical pressure, vacuum pressure, air pressure, or combinations thereof. Products can be molded in one step by injection molding, injection molding, blow molding and jigging. Products can also be molded during the two-stage molding process, when the mixture is first molded into a sheet, after which the sheet is molded into the desired product. Sheet forming processes include dry and wet sheet forming processes.

 The processes described below can be carried out using equipment well known in the art for the production of paper, plastics, metals and cement. However, this equipment must be specially combined and organized so as to constitute a functional system for the manufacture of products according to the present invention. Moreover, some modifications of the equipment that are able to optimize and ensure mass production of products are preferred. For example, injection molding (molding) of plastic products requires die cooling to quickly harden the molded products. However, in the framework of the present invention, it is often preferable to heat the matrices so that the products quickly harden. Installation, modification and operation of equipment necessary for the manufacture of products according to the present invention can be carried out by specialists capable of using conventional equipment in the light of this invention.

 In order for the molding process to become cost-effective, it is important that the molded product has a stable shape immediately after the molding process or immediately after it. The term "stable form" refers to the ability of the molded product to bear its own weight and maintain its shape under the influence of gravity and the loads associated with the production methods used. Mold stability is important for the product to be ejected from the matrix and this stability should preferably be achieved less than one minute after the molding process, more preferably within less than about 10 seconds and most preferably within less than about 1-3 s. In addition, the surface of the molded product should not be sticky, since this will make it difficult to strip, machining and stacking the products in racks.

 The rheological or flow properties of the molding sand should be optimized according to the particular manufacturing process used. Giving the desired properties should be balanced by the cost of obtaining such properties. Mold pressing, injection molding and jigging, for example, mainly require a high degree of viscosity of the mixture, which can be molded under pressure, so that it quickly provides a product with a stable shape, while molding with injection requires a highly elastic mixture, which can be inflated without breaking it.

 There are several modifications to conventional molding processes that are commonly used to facilitate the manufacturing process. For example, it is often desirable to treat the matrix with a release agent to prevent sticking. Suitable release agents include silicon oil, Teflon, Deleron, and UHW '. Preferably, the matrix itself is made of stainless steel and / or coated with a material having a very smooth surface, such as Teflon, Deleron, or chrome plated, polished to about 0.1 RMS.

 The same effect can be achieved using friction forces. By rotating the mold head relative to the internal and / or external surfaces of the moldable mixture, any chemical or mechanical adhesion (i.e., stickiness) to the matrix can be overcome.

 During the process of molding and / or hardening the mixture, it is often desirable to preheat the mixture in order to control the air voids system by controlling the porosity and volume of the article.

 However, the heating process also helps to obtain the stability of the form of the mixture in the wet state (immediately after molding), because it quickly allows the surface to gain strength. Of course, such heating allows you to quickly remove a significant amount of water from the mixture. The result of these advantages is that the use of a heating process can facilitate the production of products according to the present invention.

 Improving the stability of the form.

 One of the newest qualities of this invention is the ability to create new products having a stable shape immediately after molding. The shape stability of the product can be increased by heating the moldable mixture with heated dies for a sufficient period of time to improve the shape stability of the product. In order to obtain appropriate rheological properties, such as fluidity, different amounts of water are added to the molding mixture. At least part of the water can be quickly removed by evaporation, which reduces the amount of water present and increases the shape stability of the molded product.

 In addition, the removal of water from the surface of the molded product locally dries the surface, which not only reduces the stickiness of the molded mixture, but also forms a sufficiently strong thin “shell” around the product, which also increases the strength of the crude molding mixture. Heating the molding sand also increases the curing rate of the hydraulically settable binder, as well as the rate of gelation or curing of the organic binders.

 The ability to quickly obtain a stable form of the product in the wet state is important because it allows the mass production of products. The stability of the form allows you to quickly remove products from the molding apparatus, so that it is possible to mold new products using the same press or molding equipment.

 Another goal of increasing the temperature of the matrices is to minimize the adhesion of the molding sand to the matrices. When steam is released from the mixture, it creates a kind of “cushion” between the matrices and the mixture. This vapor boundary layer provides, in principle, a uniform force which repels the moldable mixture from the matrix, thereby preventing the mixture from sticking to the matrices. It was also found that if the movable and fixed matrices have different temperatures, the formed material will usually remain on the matrix with a lower temperature after separation of the matrices.

 The respective matrix temperatures are preferably controlled in such a way as to maximize the speed of the production process and partially depend on the duration of the contacting of the matrices with the moldable material. In general, it is desirable that the temperature be as high as possible: the higher the temperature, the faster the surface of the molded products dries, the faster the products can be unformed and the more products can be made per unit time.

 However, an increase in temperature above a certain point can cause the water to turn into steam in the entire moldable mixture, and not just on the surface of the product. A sudden weakening of the pressure associated with the breakdown can lead to cracking and even explosion of the molded product when the matrices are diluted. However, the negative effects of applying higher temperatures can often be avoided by using higher press opening and closing speeds.

 Moreover, the faster the moldable material cures, the greater the likelihood that distortion will form in the product as a result of the differential flow. That is, when the matrices are compressed together, the moldable material flows into the desired shape. However, the surface of the moldable mixture begins to dry, the dried part has a different fluidity than the rest of the raw moldable material. Difference in fluidity can lead to distortions, such as agglomerates, voids, cracks and other irregularities in the structural matrix of the molded product.

 In general, the relationship between time and temperature is such that the temperature of the matrices can be increased if the time increases during which the matrices are in contact with the moldable mixture. In addition, the temperature can be increased if the amount of water inside the moldable mixture increases.

In order to achieve the above desired objectives, it is preferable to heat the stationary and movable matrix to a temperature in the range of from about 50 ^° C to about 250 ^° C, more preferably from about 75 ^° C to about 160 ^° C, and most preferably from about 120 ^° C to about 140 ^° C. For ease of shaping, it is usually desirable that the article remains on the movable matrix after dilution of the matrices. Accordingly, the movable matrix preferably has a lower temperature than the stationary matrix. The temperature difference between the fixed matrix and the moving matrix should preferably be in the range of from about 10 ^° C. to about 30 ^° C.

 The period of time during which the heated movable matrix and the heated stationary matrix are in contact with the moldable material (i.e., the time during which the matrices are joined) is preferably in the range of from about 0.05 s to about 30 s, more preferably a range of from about 0.7 s to about 10 s, and most preferably in a range of from about 0.8 s to preferably 5 s.

 In an alternative embodiment, the step of heating the article further includes exposing the formed article to heated air after diluting the matrices, but before the article is removed from the matrix, that is, when the article is resting on a movable matrix. Exposure to heated air increases the stability of the shape of the product before it is removed from the matrix.

Some rheological modifying substances may liquefy at room temperature and harden upon cooling. Therefore, the yield strength of some molding compounds can increase if they are cooled significantly lower than the initial mixing temperature. In such cases, the shape stability of the molded product can be improved by cooling the matrices. In addition, by heating the mixture before pressing and subsequent cooling of the matrices, a thin film of water can condense between the product and the matrices, thereby preventing the product from sticking to the matrices. In such cases, the matrices are cooled to a temperature in the range of about -20 ^° C to about 40 ^° C, more preferably in the range of about -5 ^° C to about 35 ^° C, and most preferably in the range of about 0 ^° C to about 30 ^° C C.

 In yet another embodiment, a stable form can be obtained by rapidly evaporating non-hydrating volatile solvents. By mixing the molding material and other desired additives with the minimum amount of water needed to hydrate the binder, followed by adding the appropriate volatile solvent to the mixture, a mixture can be formed that is easily molded and gives the product with high strength. When the mixture is brought into the desired shape, the volatile solvent can be quickly removed by evaporation, which gives a product with a stable shape, which can be quickly removed from the matrix. Volatile solvents are preferably soluble in water and evenly distributed in the mixture. As an example, but by no means limited to this, volatile solvents include alcohols, for example methanol, ethanol, n-propanol, n-butanol and n-petanol.

 Such solvents are usually added in the range of from about 2% to about 50% by volume of water.

 Other additives that help to quickly obtain a product with a stable shape containing hydraulically hardening binder include various carbonate sources and accelerators.

As mentioned earlier, the addition of various carbonate sources, such as CO ₂ , causes the mixture to gain strength early and achieve shape stability. Sodium carbonate and potassium carbonate can also be added to the mixture to obtain early product shape stability. Typically, carbonates are added to the mixture in a range of from about 0.002% to about 0.5% by weight of water, with a preferred range of from about 0.01% to about 0.15% and a most preferred range of from 0.1% to about 0.15 % Similarly, citric acid may also be included in the mixture to achieve early shape stability. Citric acid is usually added by weight of cement in the range of about 0.01% to about 5%, more preferably in the range of 0.05% to about 1%, and most preferably in the range of 0.1% to about 0.2%.

Various organic binders also increase the stability of the shape of the product. Cellulose impurities, such as methyl ethyl celluloea, methyl cellulose and ethyl cellulose, form a gel after being heated to a temperature above about 60 ^° C. When cellulose impurities are added to the moldable mixture, followed by heating the mixture through heated matrices or other heat transfer methods, the resulting gel can help to impart shape stability of the molded product. To be effective in achieving shape stability, methylcellulose must be added to the mixture in the range of about 0.1% to about 10% by weight of the moldable mixture.

Starch can also be combined with methyl cellulose or can be added to the mixture separately to give shape stability to the molded product. Heating the mixture containing starch to a temperature above 100 ^o C melts or dissolves the starch.

 Cooling the mixture allows the starch to solidify, which binds the cement and aggregate particles and provides increased mold stability. To be effective as a binder, starch must be added to the mixture in the range from about 0.1% to about 10% of the volume of the molding mixture. Thus, the combination of starch and methyl cellulose increases the stability of the mold when heated and cooled during molding.

 As mentioned above, accelerators used in concrete production can be added to a hydraulically hardening mixture to accelerate the hydration reaction of hydraulic cement. They can be used to increase the stability of the shape of the molded product.

 In terms of the ultimate strength of the hardened article, conventional structural methods can be used to increase the tensile strength of the molded article. For example, the relatively thin walls of the molded product can be strengthened using a variety of structures (such as honeycomb structure, cranked or square reinforcing rods, triangular shapes, I-shaped bars and corrugated materials) to give strength.

 The molding of molded products.

 The molded product can be removed from the matrices after it has reached a sufficiently stable shape. In a preferred embodiment, the molded article will remain on the movable matrix after matrix dilution. In addition, the movable and fixed matrices preferably rotate in opposite directions after being diluted to prevent the product from sticking to the matrices.

 As mentioned above, when the matrices are diluted, warm air can be passed over the product for several seconds to further increase the stability of the shape of the product. Then the product can be removed from the movable matrix without deformation. In a preferred embodiment, a standard process known as an air fan (air transport) is used to extract the article from the movable matrix. An air curtain is a process in which negative pressure is applied to a product in order to “suck” the product out of the matrix. Then the product moves through the U - shaped pipe, which places it with its outer side up.

 The air conveyor process is preferable because it accurately processes the product with a stable shape and is inexpensive in terms of operation and capital investment. The heated air available for drying the product can be used for transportation by an air mass that carries the product along the entire length of the pipes. Air ducts passing through the movable die can also be used to blow air between the die and the article to create a uniform force to push the article out of the movable die. The air introduced through the air ducts must have a sufficiently low pressure so as not to cause damage to the molded product.

 In an alternative embodiment, the product can be mechanically removed from the movable matrix by simply lifting it. However, such a process requires extreme care so as not to deform the molded product.

 Optional processes.

 If desired, the product can be dried in an accelerated manner, coated and printed on it. It may also be desirable to form, crimp, notch or perforate a portion of the product.

 Accelerated drying.

 The term "drying", as used in this description and in the attached claims, includes the removal of water by evaporation and does not include significant dehydration of liquid water, as in the manufacture of paper. Therefore, all non-volatile, however, soluble in water, components remain in an organically filled matrix. Products can dry at ambient temperature and can even be stacked after molding using a conventional automatic stacker at the end of the production line when the products continue to dry. Products can be assembled, sealed, labeled, shelved and wrapped on standard equipment for machining, storing cardboard for subsequent transportation, and the drying process continues.

 If desired, the drying process can be accelerated to increase the strength of the molded product. In the General case, when the product is molded, it must be dried to obtain strength in the desired shape. However, in relation to the process of forming dry sheets before forming the product, it is necessary to dry the sheet. In order to economically produce products according to the present invention, the products need to be quickly dried to the point where they have sufficient strength to pass through the rest of the manufacturing processes, i.e. printing, coating and packaging, without deformation. In addition, the product must gain sufficient strength for the use for which it is intended. Of course, the required strength will vary depending on the type of product being manufactured.

 In a preferred embodiment, the article or sheet is dried by exposing the article to heated air, as in a conventional drying tunnel. A drying tunnel can be designed either for drying batches of products or for a process with a continuous conveyor.

 The use of heated air removes part of the water in the sand, which increases the friction forces between the particles, creating a bonding film of an organic binder and increasing the strength of the resulting product. In addition, heating can also increase the hydration rate of a hydraulically hardening binder, which, in turn, can give the product an earlier strength.

 To increase the speed at which water is removed from the moldable mixture, heated air is blown over the product. However, the air velocity should not be so high as to deform the molded product. Ideally, the product is dried only to the extent that it has sufficient strength for production and transportation without deformation. If a product having a hydraulically hardening binder is allowed to hold a small amount of water, it will continue to solidify and thus increase its strength over the transport and storage time prior to use.

 It is the ability of the product to quickly harden that makes it possible to economically organize its mass production. Five different parameters affect the drying of products: time, temperature, air velocity, surface area and material thickness. Empirical studies have led to the following conclusions regarding these parameters.

 Higher temperature and air velocity give shorter periods of the day.

After removing the bulk of the water from the product, exposure to the product at temperatures above 250 ^° C can burn the fibers and the organic binder, thereby lowering the strength of the product.

 Products with thinner walls require shorter drying times.

 Higher temperatures result in lower tensile strength of the product.

 The air velocity and the total residence time in the furnace do not affect the tensile strength of the product.

Based on these comments, recommended drying conditions for a molded product with a thickness in the range of from about 1 mm to about 2 mm include heating the air in the oven to a temperature in the range of from about 100 ^° C to about 300 ^° C, more preferably from about 140 ^o C to about 250 ^o C and most preferably from about 150 ^o C to about 200 ^o C. The period of time during which the product is exposed to heated air can be up to about 1 hour) more preferably less than about 15 minutes, and most preferably less than about 1 minute. However, these values may vary depending on the size, shape, thickness of the product and on the content of water in it.

In an alternative embodiment, since the fibers do not burn in the mixture at temperatures above 250 ^° C. until the bulk of the water has been removed, the drying process can also be carried out in two stages. First, the product can be exposed to temperatures above 250 ^° C., usually in the range of about 250 ^° C. to about 500 ^° C., so as to quickly remove some water. When about 60% to about 80% of the water is removed, the temperature drops to less than 250 ^° C. to remove the remaining water. This process increases the speed with which the product is dried, but it must be carefully regulated so as not to burn the fibers. Of course, you can use other conventional means of drying products (for example, microwaves, infrared light, etc.).

 Coating.

 In the framework of the present invention is the coating or coating materials on products or, where appropriate, on the sheets used to obtain products. Coatings can be used to change the surface characteristics of products or sheets in several ways, including sealing (sealing) and protecting the sheet or product. Coatings can create protection against moisture, from base, acidic, greasy, organic solvents. They can also create a smoother, glossier, or abrasion resistant surface and help prevent fibers from flying away. Coatings may impart reflective, electrically conductive or insulating properties to the product. They can also reinforce the sheet or article, especially at the fold, folding point, edge or corner. Some of the coatings can also be used as layering materials or as adhesives.

 A related concept of coating is the “sizing” of a sheet or product, which in principle means compaction of the pores of the structural matrix. Sizing can be used to improve the smoothness and water resistance of a product or sheets. It can either increase or decrease strength, modulus and elongation (or the ability to expand) depending on the composition and amount used. Some coatings or coatings can soften the mold, resulting in a more flexible product or sheet. Others may make the product more rigid.

 The purpose of the coating process is usually to obtain a uniform film with minimal defects on the surface of the sheet or product. Coatings may be applied during the sheet forming process, the product forming process, or after the product is molded. The choice of a particular coating process depends on the number of properties of the substrate (i.e., the sheet or article), as well as the number of properties of the coating material. Variable substrate properties include strength, wettability, porosity, density, smoothness, and uniformity of the sheet or article. Variable properties of the coating material include total solids, solvent base (including water solubility and volatility), surface tension, and rheological properties.

 Coatings can be applied to sheets or the product using any means known in the manufacture of paper, cardboard, plastic, polymers, sheet metal, polystyrene or other packaging materials, including sheet coating, tamping, air scraper, printing, dalgren, engraving and powder. Coatings can also be applied by spraying a sheet or article with any of the following coating materials or by immersing the sheet or article in a bath containing the appropriate coating material. Finally, coatings can be co-extruded with the sheet to combine the extrusion process with the coating process.

 Organic coatings include table oils, melamine, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl acetate, polyacrylates, polyamides, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, polyethylene glycol, acrylics, polyurethane, polyethylene, polylactic acid, Biopol (R) (polyhydroxy-butyrate-hydroxyvalera copolymer, copolymer, copolymer oils, polyethylene and synthetic polymers, including biodegradable polymers, wax (such as beeswax or oil based wax), elastomers and mixtures thereof. Biopol (R) is manufactured by the English company ICI.

 Suitable inorganic coatings include sodium silicate, calcium carbonate, alumina, silica, kaolin, clay, ceramics, and mixtures thereof. Inorganic coatings can also be applied with one or a number of organic coatings.

 In some cases, it may be preferable that the coating is elastomeric or deformable, in particular for articles formed by folding or folding. Elastomeric coatings may be useful to strengthen the area in which the product will undergo severe bending, for example, on a rod.

 A water repellent coating is desirable for products intended to be in contact with water. If the sheets are used for the manufacture of products intended for contact with food products, it is preferable that the coating material contain a coating approved by the Federal Office of Sanitary and Epidemiology. An example of a particularly useful coating is sodium silicate, which is acid resistant. Resistance to acidity is important, for example, if the product is a container that is exposed to food and drinks that have a high acid content, such as soft drinks or juices. Increased resistance to basic substances can create an appropriate polymer or wax coating, which is used to cover paper products.

 Polymer coatings are suitable for the formation of mainly thin layers having a low density, such as polyethylene. Low density polyethylene is particularly suitable for creating products that are moisture resistant and even to some degree resistant to pressure. Polymer coatings can also be used as an adhesive in thermal compaction.

 Alumina and silica are useful coatings, especially as a barrier to oxygen and moisture. Coatings can be applied to a sheet or article by any methods known in the art, including the application of a high energy electron beam evaporation process, plasma chemical deposition, and sputtering. Another method of forming an alumina or silica coating involves treating the sheet with an aqueous solution having an appropriate pH level to cause the formation of alumina or silica on the sheet.

 Wax and wax mixtures, especially petroleum wax or paraffin and synthetic wax, provide a barrier to moisture, oxygen, and certain organic fluids, such as fats and oils. They also allow thermal sealing of the product, such as a container. Petroleum wax is a particularly useful group of waxes in food and beverage packaging, which includes paraffin wax and microcrystalline wax.

 Drawing the press.

 Printing or other designations, such as trademarks, product information, product description or logos, on the surface of the product or sheet used to manufacture the product may be desirable. This can be accomplished using any conventional printing method or processes known in the manufacture of paper or paperboard products, including planography, relief, gravure printing, porous or non-contact printing. Typical printing devices include offset devices, van Dam, laser printers, direct transfer printers, and thermal printers. However, in principle, any manual or mechanical means may be used. In addition, the sheets or articles may be embossed or watermarked.

 Since the products have a relatively high porosity, like paper or cardboard, printed ink will usually dry out quickly. The specialist will understand that the porosity of the sheet and the amount of paint must be compatible. In addition, decalcomania, labels and other signs can be attached or glued to the sheet using methods known in the art.

 Specific molding processes.

 The process of pressing in the matrix.

 Compression in a die involves pressing a mixture between two dies with a complementary shape. The steps include placement, molding, shaping, removal and hardening.

 Accommodation

 After the molding sand has been prepared, as discussed above, it is placed between a set of dies to give it the desired shape of the product. As shown in FIG. 2, the matrices include a movable die 28 with a desired shape and a fixed die 30, the shape of which in principle complements the shape of the movable die 28. Together, the movable die 28 and the fixed die 30 form a die mold. When the moldable mixture is compressed between the matrices, it is formed into a product having a shape corresponding to the space between the movable and fixed matrices.

 Alternative matrix types may be used depending on the desired shape of the article. The split mold 31 as shown in FIG. 2A, this is a multi-element matrix, the elements of which are simultaneously compressed together at different angles to form complex shapes, especially shapes with negative angles, which can be easily separated from the matrix.

 In contrast, the successive stamp 33 seen in FIG. 2B, this is a multi-element matrix, the various elements of which are compressed together sequentially with a delay, forming the product in sections. The use of a stamp with sequential operations helps to eliminate air packets in products with deep stretching or complex shape. Alternatively, you can use the usual sliding matrix. To mold the desired product, you can use different matrices in their combination.

 The present invention provides two general methods for arranging a moldable mixture between the movable matrix 28 and the fixed matrix 30. In the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the movable matrix 28 is partially inserted into the stationary matrix 30, so that a gap 32 is created between the matrices. The “gap” is defined as the distance that one matrix must travel with respect to the other matrix before the matrices join. Matrices are “articulated” when they are inserted into each other to form a molding region between the matrices. The "molding region" defines the desired shape of the article, and this is the region into which the moldable mixture is extruded when the dies are joined.

 When the matrices are arranged so as to have a gap, a cavity remains between the matrices. This cavity includes a molding region between the matrices and also a second region between the matrices, which corresponds to the gap. When a cavity is formed, the moldable mixture can be placed in the cavity between the matrices by injection through an opening in one of the matrices or through a gap.

 In a preferred embodiment, the fixed matrix 30 is placed vertically above the movable matrix 28. Then, the mixture is injected under pressure between the matrices through an injection hole 34 made in the fixed matrix 30. Placing the fixed matrix 30 above the movable matrix 28 is preferable because after the formation of the article, the matrices are separated , and gravity helps to ensure that the product remains on the movable matrix 28. This is useful because it is then easier to remove the product from the movable matrix 28 without deforming iruya product.

 However, in the alternative, the movable matrix 28 can also be placed vertically above the fixed matrix 30. This arrangement is preferred when the mixture has a low viscosity, because the fixed matrix 30 can act as a container for holding the moldable mixture until the matrices join.

 Before placing the moldable mixture, it is preferable to minimize the gap 32 between the matrices in order to limit the movement of the mixture during the final pressing or jointing of the matrices. Minimizing the movement of the mixture reduces the possibility of unevenness in the final product as a result of differential flow in the mixture.

 The gap 32 between the movable matrix 28 and the fixed matrix 30 is usually in the range from about 2 mm to about 5 cm, more preferably from 2 mm to about 3 cm, and most preferably from 2 mm to 1 cm. However, it should be noted that for unusually large The clearance 32 should be much larger to facilitate the placement of the sand.

 The moldable mixture is preferably placed between the dies using a vacuum syringe machine, such as a double screw syringe machine 12, so that unnecessary air trapped inside the mixture can be removed. Failure to remove this air (unless this air is needed to create voids to give insulating properties) can lead to the product having a defective or heterogeneous matrix.

 The actual injection of the moldable mixture is usually carried out either by a two-stage injector, or by a reciprocating screw (screw) injector (syringe). As shown in FIG. 4, the two-stage injector (syringe) 36 has separate compartments for movement or advancement and for injection. The mixture is fed to the screw (screw) 40 of the extruder, which, in turn, feeds the mixture into a separate discharge tank 42. When the discharge tank 42 is full, the injection piston 44 pushes a certain amount of the mixture into the network of flow channels 46, through which it is fed into partially closed matrices. As shown in FIG. 4, a number of products can be molded simultaneously.

 As shown in FIG. 5, the reciprocating screw injector 38 comprises a chamber 48 having a screw screw 50 arranged longitudinally therein. The molding mixture is fed into the chamber 48 and pushed forward by the screw 50. When the screw 50 rotates, it moves and feeds the mixture to the injection end 52 of the screw 50. When the required volume of the mixture is collected at the end 52, the screw 50 stops rotating and moves forward to displace the mixture in channels 46, as described above.

 The second way to place the moldable mixture between the matrices is when the matrices are still completely diluted. This method, as shown in FIG. 6, involves forming a part of the molding material into the mass 54, this part being sufficient to create the desired product, followed by placing the mass 54, usually remaining at the top of the movable matrix 28, between the matrices. Then, when the matrices are articulated, the mass 54 is compressed between the matrices.

 In the alternative embodiment shown in FIGS. 7A-B, a template 56 is used to accommodate the mass 54. The movable matrix 28 has a circular base 58, and the template 56 has a hole 60, the perimeter of which in principle complements the round base 58 of the movable matrix 28. The mass 54 with a diameter large enough to overlap the opening 60 of the template 56. When the mass 54 overlaps the opening 60, the template 56 is placed between the movable matrix 28 and the stationary matrix 30, so that the hole 60 is aligned with the matrices. Thus, when the matrices are compressed together, the movable matrix 28 passes through the hole 60 of the template 56 to push the moldable mixture between the matrices.

 This method may further comprise the step of installing the template 56 on the movable matrix 28, so that the template 56 is placed around the base 58 of the movable matrix 28, while the mass 54 independently rests on the movable matrix 28. Then, when the matrices are compressed together, the mass 54 is compressed between matrices.

 A preferred method for mechanically removing the molded product includes using a template 56. The product is loaded onto the template by protruding from the product, either raising the template 56 or lowering the movable die 28. When the product is removed from the die, the product has a stable shape due to its dried surface. However, the product will still have a wet mixture between its walls and, thus, it will not yet reach maximum strength. In this condition, the product has maximum compressive strength along its vertical axis. Accordingly, the advantage of using the template 56 is that the force exerted to remove the product is applied along the axis of the product, which minimizes possible deformation of the product.

 Molding.

 The next step in the manufacturing process is pressing the molding sand between the movable die 28 and the fixed die 30 to mold the molding sand into the desired shape of the product. The pressure exerted by the matrices forms the moldable mixture into the product of the desired configuration. Accordingly, the pressure should be sufficient to actually mold the moldable mixture between the dies. In addition, it is desirable that the pressure is sufficient to obtain a product with a uniform and smooth finished surface.

 The amount of pressure applied to the moldable mixture may also affect the strength of the resulting product. Studies have shown that the strength of the resulting product is enhanced for mixtures in which the particles are located closer to each other. The greater the pressure used to compress the molding sand between the dies, the closer the particles are pushed together, increasing the strength of the resulting product. That is, the less porosity in the molding sand, the higher the strength of the resulting product.

 When high pressures are applied to molding compounds with a low concentration of water, the space between the particles is reduced. Thus, the water inside the mixture becomes more effective in the sense of “cladding” of particles and reducing friction between them. Essentially, when pressure is applied to the moldable mixture, the mixture becomes more fluid and processable, and thus less water needs to be added. In turn, the strength of the resulting product increases. As applied to the present invention, the greater the pressure exerted by the matrices, the less water must be added to the mixture. This pressure principle also applies to the injection process.

 Although the application of high pressure is generally desirable, it can have a negative effect. To obtain a lightweight product, low density aggregates, such as perlite or hollow glass spheres, are usually added to the mixture. When the pressure exerted by the matrices increases, these aggregates can be crushed, which increases the density of the aggregate and the resulting product and which reduces the insulating effect of the aggregates.

Accordingly, the pressure exerted by the matrices needs to be optimized in order to maximize the strength, structural integrity and low density of the product or container. In the framework of the present invention, the pressure exerted by the movable matrix and the stationary matrix on the moldable mixture is preferably in the range of from about 50 psi to about 20,000 psi, more preferably from about 100 psi to about
10,000 pounds per square inch, and most preferably from about 150 pounds per square inch to about 2,000 pounds per square inch.

 However, the pressure will vary depending on the temperature and time of the molding process.

 The pressing step further includes displacing air from the space between the matrices when the matrices are compressed together. Failure to remove this air can lead to the appearance of bags or flaws in the structural matrix of the product. Typically, the air between the matrices is displaced through the gap between the matrices when the matrices are compressed together.

 In the alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the matrices may have a series of ventilation holes 62 extending through the matrices to make them permeable. Accordingly, when the matrices are compressed together, the air between them is displaced through the ventilation holes 62. Thus, the ventilation holes 62 prevent the formation of air packets inside the cavity, which could deform the product.

 The vents 62 also prevent the creation of a vacuum inside the cavity when diluting the matrices, allowing air to return to the cavity. Such a vacuum could exert unnecessary force on a newly formed product, destroying the integrity of its structure. Moreover, the vents 62 provide the output of excess steam generated by the heating process. Air vents may be in either of the dies or in both dies.

 The pressure required to form the mixture can also be reduced by creating mixtures that expand and flow, filling the mold, similar to a solution. Such mixtures can be created based on the rheological properties of the mixture by incorporating air voids by controlling the temperature of the mixture and / or by increasing the water content in it. The use of mixtures capable of expanding and flowing to fit the shape of the mold is particularly useful in the manufacture of products having complex shapes.

 The process of injection molding (injection molding).

 In contrast to pressing in a matrix, injection pressing involves placing the moldable mixture under high pressure in a closed die. After the product has reached shape stability, the matrix opens and the product is removed and finishes hardening. Injection molding requires the use of an injection device that feeds the mixture into a fixing device. Typically, the injection device comprises a reciprocating helical (screw) injector 38, shown schematically in FIG. 5, or a two-stage injector 36, schematically shown in FIG. 4, as previously discussed in the case of compression in a die. Injection takes place at predetermined speeds and pressures to ensure complete filling of the matrix.

 As shown in FIG. 8, the moldable mixture is injected through the channel 46 into a fixing device comprising a core 64 aligned with the cavity 66, which has a shape basically complementary to the shape of the core 64. When the core 64 and the cavity 66 are compressed together and supported in compression by the locking piston 68, is formed closed injection mold 70 of the desired shape. The locking device can form a series of closed forms for mass production of the desired products. Locking rings 72 located between the molds 70 allow the core and cavity 66 to align when they are compressed together.

 Similar to the injection molding process in the die, when the mixture is injected, it is pushed through a network of channels 74, which feed it into each closed mold 70 through a feeder 76. Air ducts 78, also associated with each closed mold 70, allow air to exit when filling the molds. When the molds are full, feeders 76 are closed to allow molded articles to gain mold stability.

 To ensure appropriate quality of the molded product, the fixing device must be adjusted so that it delivers the mixture into each cavity with the same pressure. The balance of the flow is achieved in that each channel of the flow 74 leading from the injection device has an equal length and an equal number of turns. With this balanced approach, molds with up to 64 cavities work reliably.

 The injection molding process is most often used to obtain thin-walled products having a relatively large ratio of length to thickness, for example, to obtain thin-walled containers for yogurt and margarine. Length is the maximum length of the flow in the cavity, and thickness is the average wall thickness of the part. Such ratios can reach 400: 1. In order to obtain products in bulk and to ensure the correct filling of the form and uniformity of the matrix, the mixture is injected under pressure in the range from about 500 to about 40,000 pounds per square inch, preferably from about 10,000 to about 35,000 pounds per square inch and most preferably from about 25,000 up to approximately 30,000 pounds per square inch. The magnitude of the applied pressure partially depends on the viscosity of the mixture, and the higher the viscosity, the greater the pressure required.

 The same principles, methods and parameters for removing air from the mixture, molding the mixture under pressure, shaping the product with the shape discussed above, also apply to the injection molding process. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, heating lines 80 can be used to supply heated liquids to heat the moldable mixture in closed molds 70, which quickly gives the products a stable shape.

 Finally, there are two main ways of pushing a part - mechanical pushing and pushing out by air. Mechanical ejection typically uses take-off rings surrounding each core of the mold to physically push parts away from the rod. When expelled by air, air strikes are used to loosen parts and deflate from the core. Air expulsion is a preferable method because it involves fewer moving parts and thus less maintenance. In addition, parts can be made thinner and pushed earlier during the cycle, because air pushing requires less side wall strength than mechanical pushing.

 Blow molding process.

 Blow molding is a process used to produce hollow products, mainly bottles. Air or sometimes nitrogen is used to expand a certain amount of the moldable mixture, called a jar, relative to the cavity of the fixed matrix. The main blow molding processes that are applicable to the molding mixture of the present invention include injection molding with blow and injection molding with blow.

 Injection molding with blasting.

 As can be seen from FIG. 9, the injection molding process with blasting is performed as a three-stage process. In the first stage, the reciprocating screw (screw) injector 38, as mentioned above, injects the mixture through the injection passage 46 into the cavity of the jar 82 and around the rod placed therein. The resulting injection molded jar 86 in the form of a "test tube" is transferred to the rod 84 in a molding mold with a blast 88 having the desired shape of the product. In the second stage, air is blown through the rod 84, expanding the jar 86, pressing it to the cavity of the mold 88. Then the molded product is allowed to acquire a stable shape. Finally, in the third step, the product is taken out of the mold and then removed from the rod 84 by means of a removal plate 90 located around the rod 84.

 Injection molding with blasting is usually used to produce small bottles with a capacity of usually less than 0.5 l. The process is waste-free, has precise weight control of products and gives the product with a finished neck.

 Blow molding with blasting.

 As shown in FIG. 10A-E, in blow-out molding, when the molding mixture is prepared, the mixture is displaced as a tube 92 into the free atmosphere. The displacement can be carried out through a continuous or intermittent operating syringe machine, as discussed above, depending on the desired production process. The tube 92, also called a jar, is captured in the cavity 94 between the two halves 96a and 96b of the mold with extrusion and blast 96 having the desired shape. Then, a blasting tip 98 is inserted into the tube 92, through which air enters and expands the tube 92, pressing it against the mold cavity 94. When the mixture is inflated to the desired shape, the product is allowed to acquire a stable shape. Then, two halves of mold 96 are bred and the product is removed for hardening. In contrast to injection molding with blasting, a by-product of the process is the gulf, which must be removed and restored. A filler is formed when the tube 92 is compressed together and sealed with two halves 96 of the mold.

 In order for the moldable mixture according to the present invention to work with the blow molding processes described above, the mixture must have a sufficiently high viscosity so that the jar can bear its weight and at the same time must have sufficient elasticity to expand under the blast into the desired shape of the product. As mentioned above, the rheological properties of the moldable mixture can be changed at the microstructural level by adding a variety of additives to achieve the desired properties. Such additives will usually have a high concentration of organic binder, which increases both the stability and elasticity of the mixture.

 The same principles, methods and parameters for removing air from the mixture, for molding the mixture under pressure, imparting stability to the product and removing the product from the mold, which were discussed above, relate to blow molding processes. For example, as in the case of the other processes described above, a stable shape of a blow molded product can be obtained by heating the matrices, various hardening accelerators, or using a lack of water.

 Jigging process.

 Jigging is basically a mechanized version of the potter’s machine, and it’s the process used to produce symmetrical open-necked items, such as bowls, pots, and plates. As shown in FIG. 11A-D, the process requires the use of a roller head 100, a jigger mold 102 and a spindle 104. When, as mentioned above, the molding mixture is prepared, the corresponding amount of the mixture 106 is formed into a disk and placed on the bottom of the mold 102. The mixture 106 is not made into a disk It is determinative, but makes the subject more uniform and can be molded more easily and evenly.

 The mixture 106 is placed in the mold 102, the mold 102 is placed on the spindle 104 and rotates with it. Then, the roller head 100, which also rotates, is lowered into the mold 102 to press the molding sand 106 against the walls of the mold 102. Such a process requires that the rheological properties of the molding sand are close to the rheological properties of clay. When the material is uniformly dispersed over the surface of the mold 102, the roller head 100 is removed, all excess material is scraped off the edges of the mold 102 and the molded product is allowed to reach a stable shape.

 In a preferred embodiment, the roller head 100 and mold 102 are made of polished metal to obtain a product with a smooth finished surface and to help prevent adhesion between the molded mixture and the roller head 100 and mold 102. In addition, it is also preferred that the roller head 100 and mold 102 were able to heat up, similar to compression molds in the mold, to quickly give the product a stable shape, while creating a vapor barrier that limits the adhesion of the product and 102 to form the roller head 100. After achieving form stability the product can be removed from the mold, for example, blowing air between the mold and article or by mechanical means.

 The same principles, methods, and parameters for removing air from a mixture, molding the mixture under pressure, and shaping the product to a stable shape, as described above, apply to the jigger process.

 Forming products from wet sheets.

 The wet sheet forming process is a two-step shaping process in which the molding mixture is first formed into a sheet. The sheet can be formed by extruding the moldable mixture through a matrix having a width and thickness corresponding to the desired sheet size. Alternatively, the sheet may be formed by passing a molding sand between a pair of rollers. A combination of these two sheet formation processes is often preferred. The new sheet is then molded into the desired shape until the sheet is completely hardened or cured.

 Extrusion (extrusion).

 In a preferred embodiment, the respective moldable mixture is transferred to a sheet forming apparatus comprising an extruder and a set or sequence of rollers. In FIG. 12 shows the currently preferred system, including a mixer 10 and a double extruder 12, acting in conjunction with squeezing rollers (rollers) 108. In an alternative embodiment, the sheet can be obtained by eliminating the extruder 12 and feeding the mixture directly between the squeezing rollers 108. If to form a sheet an extruder is used, crimping rollers help form a sheet with a more accurate thickness.

 In FIG. 12 shows an extruder 12 having a die head 26 with a die slit 110 that defines the width of the die 112 and the thickness of the die 114. The cross sectional shape of the slit of the die 110 is configured to create a sheet with a desired width and thickness that generally corresponds to the width of the die 112 and the thickness of the matrix 114.

 The screw extruder can also be replaced by a piston extruder, such as a two-stage injector (syringe) 36, or a reciprocating screw injector 38, as described above. A piston extruder may be useful where higher pressure is required. However, due to the high degree of ductility of the mixtures commonly used in the framework of this invention, it is usually not necessary and not advantageous to exert pressure above the pressure in the screw extruder. In addition, piston extruders are less than screw extruders capable of continuously forming a sheet.

 Although the preferred width and thickness of the matrix will depend on the width and thickness of the particular sheet being manufactured, the thickness of the extruded sheet will usually be at least twice, and sometimes many times, exceed the thickness of the final rolled sheet. The amount of crimping and, accordingly, the thickness range will depend on the properties of a particular sheet. Since the crimping process helps control the orientation of the fibers, the amount of crimping often corresponds to the degree of desired orientation. In addition, the greater the decrease in thickness, the greater the elongation of the sheet. In a typical manufacturing process, an extruded sheet with a thickness of about 6 mm can be rolled into a sheet with a thickness of from about 0.2 mm to about 0.5 mm.

 In addition to the thin slots of the matrix, for the production of flat sheets, other forms of the matrix can be used to form other objects or shapes. For example, in some cases it may not be desirable to extrude an extremely wide sheet. To achieve this, it is possible to extrude and continuously cut an object in the form of a pipe and then deploy it using a knife located just outside the head of the matrix.

 The pressure applied to displace the moldable mixture mainly depends on the pressure necessary to squeeze the mixture through the die head, as well as on the desired speed of the displacement process. It should be understood that the speed of the process should be controlled so that the speed of sheet formation corresponds to the speed with which the sheet is then passed through the squeezing rollers during the crimping step.

 It is understood that an important factor determining the optimum displacement rate is the final sheet thickness. A thicker sheet contains more material and will require a higher extrusion rate to obtain the desired material. On the contrary, a thinner sheet contains less material and will require a lower extrusion rate to obtain the required material.

 The ability of the moldable mixture to extrude through the die head, as well as the speed with which it is forced out, are mainly a function of the rheological properties of the mixture, as well as the operating parameters and properties of the equipment. All factors — such as the amount of water, an organic binder, dispersant, or the initial hydration level of a hydraulically set binder — affect the rheological properties of the mixture. Therefore, the speed of the displacement process can be controlled by controlling the composition of the mixture and the speed of hardening or solidification of the molding mixture.

 As described above, adequate pressure is necessary in order to temporarily increase the workability of the moldable mixture when the mixture has a lack of water and has some optimization of particle packing. When the mixture is compressed inside the syringe machine, the compressive forces move the particles together, thereby reducing the intermediate space between the particles and increasing the visible amount of water available to “lubricate” the particles. In this way, workability is increased until the mixture is forced out through the die head, and at this point the reduced pressure causes the mixture to almost immediately increase its stiffness and wet strength.

 In light of each of the above factors, the amount of pressure that is typically applied by a syringe in order to displace a hydraulically settable mixture will preferably be in the range of from about 50 kPa to about 70 MPa, more preferably in the range of from about 150 kPa to about 30 MPa and most preferably in the range of from about 350 kPa to about 3.5 MPa.

 Extruding the molding sand through the die head will orient individual fibers within the molding sand in the longitudinal direction of the extruded sheet. As will be seen below, the rolling process will also orient the fibers in the longitudinal or "Y" - direction, when the sheet is further lengthened during crimping. In addition, when using rollers having different gaps in the "Z" direction (for example, tapered rollers), some of the fibers can also be oriented in the "X" direction, i.e. along the thickness of the sheet. In this way, a sheet having bi-directionally oriented fibers can be created by extrusion in combination with rolling.

 An ordinary specialist will understand that the extrusion step should not use an extruder at the beginning, as this term is used in technology. The purpose of the displacement stage is to provide a continuous, well-regulated supply of hydraulically hardening material to the rollers. Preferably, the displacement process orientates the fibers in the direction of flow of the material. This can be achieved by another mechanism known to those skilled in the art for effecting an “extrusion” or flow of material through a corresponding hole. The speed necessary to force a hydraulically hardening mixture to flow can, for example, be created by gravity.

 Rolling.

 Although the products of the present invention can be directly formed from extruded sheets, it is preferable to roll the extruded sheet by passing it between at least a pair of rollers or rollers, the purpose of which is to improve the uniformity and surface quality of the sheet and, in most cases, reduce the thickness of the sheet. In cases where it is desirable to greatly reduce the thickness of the sheet, it may be necessary to reduce the thickness of the sheet in stages, then the sheet is passed through several pairs of rollers, each pair having a gradually narrowing gap between them.

 In FIG. 12 shows one embodiment of the present invention in which a sequence of rollers is used during the rolling process. The rollers in each of the pairs of rollers have similar diameters, although in some cases it may be preferable to use rollers with a smaller diameter in combination with rollers with a larger diameter. As can be seen from FIG. 13, a set or pair of rollers 116 typically includes two separate rollers 118 located adjacent to each other with a predetermined clearance 120 between them. The gap 120 between two separate rollers corresponds to the desired thickness 122 of the compressed sheet 124 after it passes between the set of rollers 116.

 When the thickness of the sheet decreases after it passes through a pair of rollers, it will also lengthen in the forward direction or “Y”. One consequence of the elongation of the sheet is that the fibers will be even more oriented or aligned in the "Y" direction. Thus, the crimping process in combination with the initial extrusion or extrusion process will create a sheet having, in principle, unidirectionally oriented fibers in the "Y" direction or in the longitudinal direction.

Another consequence of the elongation of the sheet is that the sheet “accelerates” as it passes between a pair of compression rollers. FIG. 13 shows that the tangential speed V _{1 of the} outer surface of the rollers will closely correspond to the speed V _{1 of the} compressed elongated sheet exiting the rollers, and not the speed of the sheet entering the gap between the rollers. As an example, if the sheet thickness is reduced by 50%, and assuming that the sheet does not expand during the crimping process, the sheet will be doubled in comparison with its initial length. This corresponds to a doubling of the speed of the sheet before it enters the rollers compared to its speed after exiting the rollers. Thus, as shown in FIG. 13, if the sheet thickness decreases by 50%, then V ₁ = 2 • V _o ; speed doubles from point a to point b. The acceleration of the sheet and the downward pressure of the rollers exert great shear forces on the sheet, and if they are too large, they can damage the mold matrix.

 The application of an excessively large shear force can destroy the integrity of the structural matrix of the sheet, creating defects inside it and thereby weakening the sheet. Therefore, the thickness of the sheet must be reduced in stages with a small degree to prevent unwanted damage to the sheet. In light of the usual production parameters, such as, for example, minimizing the number of crimping steps, orienting the fibers and controlling the rheological properties of the molding mixture, the reduction in sheet thickness preferably does not exceed about 80% during one crimping step, i.e. for the passage between one set of rollers.

 The diameter of each of the rollers should be optimized depending on the properties of the molding sand and the amount of reduction in sheet thickness. When optimizing the diameter of the rollers, two competing interests should be considered. The first relates to the fact that rollers with a smaller diameter usually exert a greater driving force on the sheet when the sheet passes between them. This is because the downward compression angle of the sheet and the average acceleration value are on average greater when using smaller rollers than when using rollers with a large diameter.

 Therefore, from this point of view, rollers with a larger diameter seem to be preferable in comparison with rollers with a smaller diameter, since, as expected, less shear forces will introduce fewer defects in the structural matrix.

 However, the use of rollers with a large diameter has the disadvantage that the moldable material is in contact with the rollers for a longer time, which leads to faster drying of the sheet during the rolling process, if the rollers are heated to prevent adhesion. As more sheets come into contact with a larger diameter roller, heating is even more important when using larger diameter rollers to prevent sticking. Although some drying is useful, drying too fast during the rolling process can lead to the introduction of cracks and other defects into the hydraulically hardening matrix. A drier sheet is less able to conform to the new form without breaking in the structural matrix compared to a wetter sheet subject to the same level of shear. Therefore, from this point of view, the use of rollers with a smaller diameter is preferable to reduce the drying effect of the compression rollers.

 In light of this, it is preferable to optimize the diameter of the rollers so that it is small enough to avoid drying out the material during the rolling process, while also being large enough to reduce the amount of shear applied to the sheet, thereby allowing a greater reduction in sheet thickness over each compression step. By increasing the degree of reduction in sheet thickness, the number of reduction steps can be minimized.

As described above, it is preferable to treat the surfaces of the rollers in order to avoid adhesion or adhesion of the sheet to the rollers. One method involves heating the rollers, which causes a certain amount of water inside the moldable mixture to evaporate and create a vapor barrier between the sheet and the rollers. The evaporation of a certain amount of water also reduces the amount of water in the mixture, which increases the strength of the sheet in the wet state. However, the temperature of the rollers should not be so high as to dry or harden the surface of the sheet until residual stresses, cracks, peeling, or other flaws or irregularities in the sheet are created. Accordingly, the rollers are preferably heated to a temperature in the range of from about 50 ^° C to about 140 ^° C, more preferably from about 70 ^° C to about 120 ^° C, and most preferably from about 85 ^° C to about 105 ^° C.

 In general, the stickiness of the moldable mixture increases with the amount of water in the mixture. Therefore, in general, rollers should be heated to a higher temperature when the mixture contains more water, which is advantageous because sheets containing more water are generally subject to removal of more water from them in order to achieve adequate strength of the raw sand.

 Since heated rollers can drive out a significant amount of water and improve mold stability, the amount of acceptable reduction in sheet thickness will generally decrease in each subsequent reduction step when the sheet becomes drier. This is because a drier and stiffer sheet can withstand less shear before defects occur in the structural matrix.

 In an alternative embodiment, the adhesion between sheets and rollers can be reduced by cooling the rollers to or below room temperature. For example, heating the mixture in a syringe machine to a relatively high temperature and then cooling the surface of the sheet causes evaporated water to condense, which is believed to create a thin film of water between the sheet and the roller. The rollers should be cold enough to prevent the surface of the sheet from sticking to the rollers, but not so cold as to freeze the sheet or make it stiff and inflexible when it can crack or break during the rolling process.

Subcooling the material can also greatly delay the hydration reaction, although in some cases this may be desirable. Accordingly, when relying on cooling the heated mixture to prevent the sheet from sticking, it is preferable to cool the rollers to a temperature in the range of from about -20 ^° C to about 40 ^° C, more preferably from about 0 ^° C to about 35 ^° C, and most preferably from about 5 ^° C. to about 30 ^° C. On the contrary, it will generally be preferable to heat the displaced mixture to a temperature in the range of about 20 ^° C. to about 80 ^° C. The temperature will correlate with the relative but the temperature of the rollers.

 Another way to reduce the adhesion between the rollers and the sheet is to treat the surfaces of the rollers with a non-stick coating such as polished stainless steel, chrome, nickel or Teflon.

 Molding.

 When the sheet is formed, the next step is to form part of the sheet into the desired shape of the product. As shown in FIG. 14, this process is similar to pressing in a die in the sense that the sheet is compressed between the moving die 28 with the desired shape and the fixed die 30, the shape of which in principle complements the shape of the moving die 28. When a portion of the sheet is compressed between the dies, the mixture is molded into an article having complementary form of matrices.

 Although matrices made of one solid piece (both the fixed and movable matrix are made in the form of one solid part) are preferred matrices based on simplicity and cost-effectiveness, alternative matrices include split molds, dies with sequential operations and sliding matrices as described above.

 As in the process of pressing with dies, the pressure exerted by the dies on the sheet performs several functions that need to be considered when determining the magnitude of the applied pressure. Although a sheet of material is used in contrast to the direct injection of the material, the parameters and precautions described with respect to the die pressing process will mainly apply to the wet sheet forming process.

 In an alternative method of forming a sheet product, various vacuum forming methods that are commonly used in the manufacture of plastics may be included. Vacuum forming uses atmospheric pressure of about 14.7 psi to make the sheet fit. For vacuum molding, movable and fixed dies can be used. The term "vacuum mold", as used in this description and in the attached claims, should include either a movable matrix or a fixed matrix used in vacuum molding, or both.

 The molding of the “wallpaper material” shown in FIG. 15A-B, uses a vacuum mold 126 having a vacuum inlet 126 in communication with it. The sheet is placed above the top of the mold 126, or the mold 126 is placed on the sheet. Then the air between the sheet and the mold 126 is pumped out through the vacuum hole 128, which forms a sheet along the contour around the mold 126. The resulting product has the largest thickness in the center of the part, where the material first touches the mold 126. The product has the smallest thickness in the areas of high tension along the periphery, which the latter is in contact with form 126.

 In direct vacuum molding shown in FIG. 16A-B, a stationary vacuum matrix 130 is used, having a vacuum hole 13 communicating with it. The sheet adheres tightly to the upper part of the stationary matrix 130. Then, air is pumped from the matrix cavity through the vacuum hole 132, and atmospheric pressure pushes the material to the side walls of the cavity. This molding method leads to the distribution of the material thin in the middle and thick at the edges, in principle opposite to that obtained when the same part is formed by molding the “wallpaper material” on a movable matrix.

 As shown in FIG. 17A-B, vacuum molding of “wallpaper material”, in contrast to molding of “wallpaper material”, is similar to direct vacuum molding except that the edges of the sheet are constantly pressed against the base of the stationary matrix 130 until the cavity is evacuated. This creates the best vacuum for the molding process.

 Backward sweep, “big wave / air slip” and “big wave / wallpaper" are multi-stage vacuum forming methods designed to improve the uniformity of the wall thickness of the products obtained on the movable matrix by pre-stretching the sheet before it comes into contact with the matrix. Stretching the sheet freely in air without contact with anything allows the material to thin uniformly. As a result, the surface area of the sheet also increases, so that it better matches the surface of the matrix.

 As shown in FIG. 18A-B, a vacuum reservoir 134 having an opening 136 in combination with a movable vacuum matrix 126 is used in the vacuum forming (stamping) with backward crimping, the sheet is compacted relative to the vacuum reservoir 134, and a partial vacuum is created in the vacuum reservoir 134 through the opening 136 so that stretch the sheet to the desired size. Then, the movable vacuum matrix 126 is pressed into the concave sheet. The vacuum reservoir 134 opens into the atmosphere and the vacuum switches to the movable vacuum matrix 126. Then, atmospheric pressure presses the material against the movable vacuum matrix 126.

 In the “big wave / air glide” molding shown in FIG. 19A-B, a vacuum reservoir 134 is used, in which a movable vacuum matrix 126 is movably placed. The sheet is compacted relative to the vacuum reservoir 134. The reservoir 134 is pumped with compressed air and the sheet heaves, forming a bubble, which ensures uniform stretching. A movable vacuum matrix 126 is introduced into a convex bubble. Then, air is evacuated from the vacuum reservoir 134 and the movable vacuum matrix 126, and the sheet is pressed against the movable vacuum matrix 126.

 Big wave / wallpaper molding is the reverse stretch method that uses a vacuum reservoir 134 to blow a bubble into the sheet, as shown in FIG. 20A-B. A movable vacuum matrix 126, mounted opposite the vacuum reservoir 134, moves into a convex bubble. The air in the bubble in a controlled manner enters the atmosphere. By balancing the amount of exhaust air with the amount of air displaced by the movable vacuum matrix 126, the sheet material fits or drapes relative to the movable vacuum matrix 126. When the movable vacuum matrix 126 completely penetrates the sheet, the vacuum is created in the movable vacuum matrix 126, and the vacuum reservoir 134 opens into atmosphere to complete the molding operation.

 Forming methods using a plug gauge and “big wave (using a plug gauge) with backward swage” are multi-stage molding methods designed to improve the uniformity of the wall thickness of parts obtained using a fixed matrix. They use mechanical plug gauges to feed more material into high, dry areas of the part.

 Vacuum molding with a plug gauge shown in FIG. 21A-B, is used in combination with direct vacuum or molding techniques. The plug gauge 140 is mounted on the plate 142 opposite the stationary vacuum matrix 130. The sheet is compacted relative to the stationary vacuum matrix 130 and the plug gauge 140 presses the material into the stationary vacuum matrix 130 until it is drawn from the vacuum. When the stationary vacuum matrix 130 is pumped out, the material is pushed away from the gauge plug 140 and pushed toward the cavity of the matrix.

 The "big wave (using a plug gauge) backward crimping" molding method combines different molding methods, as shown in FIG. 22A-B. The sheet is compacted relative to the stationary vacuum matrix 130. The matrix 130 is pumped under pressure to stretch the sheet by inflating the bubble. The plug gauge 140, mounted opposite the stationary vacuum matrix 130, is pressed into the convex bubble, and the controlled outlet of the displaced air in the bubble causes the material to “drape” on the plug gauge 140. When the plug gauge 140 is completely lowered, the stationary vacuum matrix 130 is pumped out and the material repelled from the caliber plug 140 to a stationary vacuum matrix 130.

 Pressure molding uses compressed air in addition to atmospheric pressure. The pressure values are usually in the range of from about 40 Pa to about 200 Pa. Pressure molding requires special equipment with boards and / or dies in pressure vessels that can be sealed and maintain the required pressure. Pressure molding may be included in any of the vacuum molding methods described above.

 The double sheet forming process shown in FIG. 23A-B allows receiving hollow parts. Two sheets are placed between two stationary molds 144 with matching parameters or contact surfaces. The contours of the cavity of the fixed molds 144 may or may not be identical. The fixed molds 144 converge together and bind the two sheets together where the molds join. Two sheets can either be molded under pressure at the same time, or sequentially molded in vacuum using conventional molding methods.

 As used in the appended claims, the term “vacuum molding processes” should include injection molding and double sheet molding in addition to the specifically listed vacuum molding methods. In an alternative embodiment of the invention, it may also be useful to then compress the vacuum formed article between solid matrices of an appropriate shape in order to improve the surface finish of the article.

 The process of forming a dry sheet.

 The process of forming a dry sheet is similar to the process of forming a wet sheet in the sense that the mixture is first molded into a sheet. However, in the process of forming a dry sheet, the sheet is, in principle, dried to form the desired product.

 Extrusion and rolling.

 The displacement and rolling used in connection with the dry sheet forming process in all material respects are basically the same as those preferably used in relation to the raw sheet forming process. Of course, the use of equal processing equipment in the production line may lead to the need to make some modifications during the displacement (extrusion or extrusion) process, however, such modifications are within the scope of the prior art in light of the foregoing.

 Drying.

 Although the rolling step often leads to partial or even principal drying of the sheet to be molded, it is preferable to dry the sheet even further to form a dry sheet in order to obtain a sheet with the desired properties of moisture, tensile strength and stiffness. The preferred method of drying the sheet involves the use of a number of heated drying rollers of large diameter, which experts sometimes call "Yankee rollers."

 In contrast to the squeeze rollers, which are usually installed in pairs, the drying rollers are individually aligned, so that the sheet passes over the surface of each individual roller in series. Thus, the two sides of the moldable sheet are alternatively (alternately) gradually dried. If the sheet passes between the squeezing rollers during the rolling process mainly along a linear path, the sheet follows the main path of the sinusoid when wrapping and passing through the drying rollers during the drying step.

 As can be seen from FIG. 24, the sheet is extruded from the twin screw extruder 12, the formed sheet passes through a pair of compression rollers 108 and then passes over a row of drying rollers 146. The side adjacent to the first drying roller is heated by it, while the other side is exposed to air. The heated sheet loses water in the form of steam, which can escape from the side of the rollers or from the surface of the sheet opposite the rollers. Steam also creates a non-stick barrier between the sheet and the roller. When the sheet continues its movement, it is rolled on a second drying roller, where the other side is in contact with the surface of the roller and dried. This process can be continued in the required number of steps to dry the sheet to the required degree.

The temperature of the drying rollers depends on a number of factors, including the moisture content in the sheet when it passes over a particular roller. In any case, the temperature of the drying rollers should be less than about 300 ^o C. Although the moldable material should not be heated above 250 ^o C, to prevent the destruction of organic components, such as modifying the rheological properties of the substance or fiber, rollers heated above this temperature can be used, as long as there is enough water in the mixture that can cool the material when water evaporates. However, when the amount of water decreases during the drying process, the temperature of the rollers should be lowered to prevent overheating of the material. In some cases, it may be preferable to use an infrared dryer in combination with drying rollers.

 In some cases, the drying process described above will be the last step before either the sheet is used to form the desired product or, alternatively, the sheet is wound onto a bobbin or stacked in sheet form before use. In other cases, especially if a sheet with a smoother paper-like finish is desired, this drying step is followed by one or more additional steps, which are more fully described below, including the compaction step and / or the finishing step. In the case of compaction, it is generally preferable to leave sheets with some moisture in order to prevent cracking of the mold matrix during an additional compaction step.

 Additional finishing processes (refinement).

 In many cases, it may be desirable to compact the moldable sheet to obtain final thickness, toughness, and final surface finish. In addition, the compaction process can be applied to remove unnecessary voids within the moldable die. As can be seen from FIG. 25, the sheet can be further passed between the pair of sealing rollers 148 after it is fundamentally dried during the drying process. The compaction process usually gives a sheet with greater strength and density, with fewer surface defects and with a smaller thickness. The magnitude of the compression force of the sealing rollers is adjusted to match the specific properties of the sheet.

 In order to achieve compaction without further extension of the sheet and without destroying the structural matrix, it is important to control the drying process so that the sheet contains the amount of water in the optimal range. If the sheet contains too much water, the sealing rollers will lengthen the sheet, as well as the compression rollers.

 On the other hand, if the sheet contains too little water, the compaction step may split the structural matrix, resulting in a weaker sheet. A kink in the structural matrix can reduce the ultimate strength of the sheet, even if the cracks are microscopic and not visible to the naked eye.

 Since the compaction process, including one or more compaction steps, usually involves a slightly wet sheet, after the compaction step, it is usually preferable to further dry the sheet in a manner similar to the drying process described above. This additional drying process can be carried out using additional drying rollers 149, as shown in FIG. 24, a drying tunnel, or combinations thereof. However, in some cases, the sheet can be further processed without a second drying step, when the sheet is immediately used to form the article, notched, or when it is preferable to obtain a slightly wet sheet.

 It may also be preferable to further change the surface of the moldable sheet by passing it between one or more pairs of finishing (or "calendaring") rollers 150. For example, to produce a sheet with a very smooth or glossy surface on one or both sides, the sheet can be passed between a pair of hard and soft rollers (Fig. 26). The term “solid roller” refers to a roller 152 having a very polished surface that makes the sheet side in contact with the solid roller very smooth. The term “soft roller” refers to a roller 154 having a surface capable of creating sufficient friction between the soft roller 154 and the sheet so that the sheet is pushed through a pair of hard and soft rollers. This is necessary because the solid roller 152 is usually too slippery to pull a dry sheet through a pair of solid rollers. In addition, some slippage of the hard roller 152 is useful to even out particles on the surface of the sheet. Optionally, the finishing process can be facilitated by spraying water onto the surface of the sheet and / or by coating the surface with clay, calcium carbonate or other suitable coating material known to those skilled in the art.

It may also be preferable to treat the moldable sheet so that it becomes transparent or translucent. One way to reduce opacity and to process a translucent or transparent sheet involves passing the sheet between one or more pairs of rollers with a pressure sufficient to reduce the volume of air voids in the sheet, resulting in a decrease in light diffraction. Another method is the method described above for passing a sheet through a pair of hard and soft rollers, which results in a very polished surface. The opacity of the sheets can also be reduced by including silica (silicon dioxide), fibers, and Tylose ^(R) . In addition, you can use combinations of these methods to reduce the opacity of the sheets.

 In other embodiments, the finishing rollers may impart a desired texture, for example a mesh or checkered surface. If desired, the rollers can print a logo or other image on the surface of the sheet. You can use special rollers that can apply a watermark, alone or in combination with any of the other rollers.

 After completion of the sheet formation process, hardened or semi-hardened sheets can be applied immediately in place to manufacture a particular product. Alternatively, they can be stored and then transported as desired to the place of production, such as large rolls (FIG. 25) 151 or spools, or in the form of stacks of individual sheets.

 Additional sheet processing.

 In principle, the dried sheets prepared in accordance with the above methods can undergo additional processing steps depending on the properties required of the sheets, which, in turn, depends on the end use of the sheets. These additional processes may include thin layering, corrugation, punching, punching, creping, parchment, or combinations thereof.

 The processes of creating thin layering.

 Various properties can be given to the sheet by creating a thin layering in it. For these purposes, in the description and the appended claims, the terms “laminated sheet” or “laminated sheet” should refer to a sheet having at least two layers, wherein at least one of the layers is a sheet. The terms “layering material” or “plate” should refer to any constituent layer of the laminate sheet, including both the sheet and other material. Plate sheets having any combination of layers are within the scope of this invention if one layer of the laminate sheet is a sheet. A layered sheet can be formed by adding, gluing or otherwise joining together at least two layers. The thickness of the laminated sheet may vary depending on the nature of the intended properties of the laminated sheet.

 The laminating material that binds, adheres or otherwise connects to the layer of the laminated sheet containing the sheet may include another sheet, a material that gives the desired property to the sheet when both are molded together, a material that is described below as a coating or adhesive, or a combination thereof. Examples of sheet enhancing materials include organic polymer sheets, metal foil sheets, ionomer sheets, elastomeric sheets, plastic sheets, fibrous sheets or mats, paper sheets, cellophane sheets, nylon sheets, wax sheets, and metallized film sheets.

 Conventional laminators can be used to combine the sheet with another layer. Layered sheets can also be created by jointly extruding two or more sheets or a sheet with another material. Laminate sheets within the framework of this invention can be formed by bonding a sheet or another layer or layers with or without adhesives. The bond between the sheet and another layer, or between other layers of the laminated sheet, can vary from weak adhesion to a bond that exceeds the strength of the sheet or bonded materials.

 Sheets can be bonded without the use of adhesives to another layer while the sheet is sufficiently “raw” to effect effective bonding between the individual plates. Layers of a laminated sheet containing water-soluble materials may adhere to a slightly wet or re-wetted sheet.

 Bonds can be formed using adhesives in many different processes, including layering with a wet bond, layering with a dry bond, thermal layering, and layering under pressure. Useful adhesives include water-based adhesives, natural and synthetic, heat-dissolving adhesives and solvent based adhesives.

 The creation of layering with a wet bond with the sheet and another layer involves the use of any liquid adhesive for bonding together two layers. Useful natural water-based adhesives for wet bonding include starch-based plant adhesives, protein-based adhesives, animal glue, casein and natural rubber latex. Suitable water-based synthetic adhesives mainly include emulsions of resins, such as stable suspensions of polyvinyl acetate particles in water. Water-based adhesives have a faint odor, a slight aftertaste, color and toxicity, have a wide range of adhesion and remarkable aging properties. Thermoplastic polymers are suitable hot melt adhesives that can be applied in the molten state and formed after cooling. Adhesives that melt upon heating generally harden faster than adhesives. Suitable solvent based adhesives include polyurethane adhesives, solvent based ethylene vinyl acetate systems and other pressure sensitive rubber resins.

 Within the framework of this invention is also the creation of a laminated sheet by stamping foil. Stamping the foil involves the use of heat and pressure to transfer a thin metal or pigmented coating from the carrier film to the surface of the sheet or product to obtain decorative patterns. This method can be used in combination with embossing to obtain a layered sheet with a reflective, glossy, embossed surface.

 Corrugation processes.

 It may be desirable to corrugate the sheet in the same way as corrugated cardboard. This can be accomplished by passing a sheet, preferably in a semi-wet state, between a pair of corrugating rollers 155, as shown in FIG. 27. The moisture content in the sheet should be controlled so that the corrugation process does not damage the moldable die. If the sheet is too dry, the corrugation process can damage the moldable mixture and, in some cases, can even lead to tearing or splitting of the sheet. Conversely, if the sheet is too wet, the corrugated sheet may not have the strength necessary to maintain a corrugated shape. Preferably, the percentage by volume of water in the sheet is from about 1% to 20%, more preferably from about 3% to 15%, and most preferably from about 5% to 10%.

 The strength and flexibility of a single corrugated sheet can be changed by changing the number of corrugations or corrugations per linear foot. The number of corrugations per linear foot can be increased to obtain a more flexible sheet, or the number of corrugations can be reduced to obtain a durable sheet with great cushioning ability. You can also create multi-wall corrugated sheets, and two or more corrugated sheets have a different number of corrugations per linear foot.

 As with notching, notching and punching, which are described more fully below, the individual corrugations of the corrugated sheets create areas in which the sheet could be more naturally folded or folded. However, in reality, the sheet is more severe and durable in the direction perpendicular to the row of corrugations. Therefore, the product, such as a container or packaging material, needs to be designed so that the corrugated sheet gives maximum flexibility, where necessary, and maximum rigidity, where necessary, for example, where the product will be stacked.

 As part of the corrugation process, coating processes can be used, which are described in more detail below. On the corrugated surface by means of a hot rolling coating device, it is possible to apply coatings, in particular wax or polyethylene. Coatings can also be applied by covering with a shutter of a corrugated workpiece before it is converted into a product. Other used processes for coating using corrugated sheets include immersing finished products in a coating material, such as wax, or applying a cascade of such coatings through and around the corrugations of the corrugated product.

 The process of notching and punching.

In some cases, it may be desirable, as
alternatives, cut, cut with a notch or perforate the sheet to determine the line along which the sheet can be bent or folded. Incisions with a notch can be made with a cutter with a knife blade 156 (FIG. 28) mounted on the notch press, or it can be done using a continuous cutting matrix roller 158, as shown in FIG. 29. Alternatively, the notch, but not the incision with the notch, can be pressed into the sheet using a rounded notching matrix or rule 169, as shown in FIG. 30. The chopping matrix or rule can be used alone or in combination with a notch counter. This configuration of the chopping rule causes the sheet to deform in the shape of the groove of the notch counter. Finally, perforation can be carried out by means of a perforating cutter 162 shown in FIG. 31.

 If the sheet has a relatively low fiber content of less than 15% by volume of the total solids, it is preferable to cut the sheet with a notch rather than pressing the notch. Conversely, if the sheet has a relatively high fiber content, more than 15% by volume of the total solids, it is preferable to press in the notch and not to cut the sheet. Finally, perforations usually work well in sheets with any fiber content.

 The purpose of a notch, notched incision, or perforation is to create an area on the sheet on which the sheet can be bent or folded. This creates a “core” in the sheet with much more bendability and elasticity than can be obtained in the sheet without a notch or elasticity than can be obtained in the sheet without a bendable sheet. These methods can also be used to form the rod.

 Drawing a notch or perforation line in a sheet creates a better bend line or rod for a number of reasons. First of all, this provides a place where the sheet could more naturally bend or fold. Secondly, applying a notch makes the sheet along the notch line thinner than the rest of the sheet, which reduces the longitudinal elongation of the surface when the sheet is bent. Reducing the elongation of the surface reduces the tendency of the mold to crack after folding or bending. Thirdly, a notched incision or perforation allows the formation of a controlled crack in the moldable matrix when cracking of the moldable matrix occurs.

 In some cases, it may be preferable to concentrate a larger number of fibers in the place where the incision with a notch or perforation. This can be achieved by co-extruding a second layer of molding material containing more fibers at predetermined time intervals to match the location of the notched incision or perforation. In addition, the fibers can be placed on top of the sheet or embedded in the sheet during the extrusion or rolling process to obtain a higher concentration of fibers in the desired location. When notching the corrugated sheet, it is generally preferable to cut the corrugated sheet in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the corrugations.

 During the notching or punching process, the sheet should preferably be in a dry or semi-solidified state. It is desirable that the notch or perforation is not closed by migration of the wet material into the incision with the notch. Since the notch is mainly, and perforation always, involves cutting a part of the mold to be formed, the sheet can even be completely dry, and neither the notch nor perforation will damage it. However, in cases where the notch is pressed in rather than cut into the surface of the sheet, the sheet should be wet enough to avoid cracking due to a violation of the moldable matrix.

 The depth of the slot with the notch mainly depends on the type of cut, the thickness of the sheet and the desired degree of bending along the notch line. The notch deposition mechanism must be adjusted to create a notch of the desired depth. Of course, the matrix cutter should not be too large so as not to actually cut through the sheet or to make it too thin, so that it will not withstand the expected efforts, unless a notch is desired, leading to a slight tear. Preferably, the notched incision should be deep enough to fulfill its purpose.

 In some cases, a combination of cuts with a notch on opposite sides of the sheet may be preferable to increase the bending range. In most cases, when a thinner sheet with a thickness of less than 1 mm is cut, the cut has a depth relative to the entire thickness of the sheet in the range of from about 10% to about 50%, more preferably from about 20% to about 35%. In the case of thicker sheets, the incision is usually deeper due to the reduced bending of the thicker sheet.

 It should be understood that the sheets of the present invention are folded from the notch-notch or from perforation and folded to the notch, which is pressed into the surface of the sheet. That is, the sides of the sheet formed by an incision or perforation will close in the direction opposite to the incision-notch or perforation. Conversely, in such plain paper or paperboard products, the sides of a hydraulically hardening sheet formed by an incision pressed into the surface of the sheet will close on the side of the incision.

 Crepe and parchment.

 Alternatively, the sheets can be creped like plain paper to provide a highly extensible sheet capable of absorbing energy at unusual load levels. Crepe sheets are extremely important in the manufacture of bags for transportation. Conventional creping is done either in the wet-press section of a paper machine (wet crepe) or in a Yankee dryer (dry crepe). Although the exact wet or dry creping parameters for sheets according to the present invention differ from these parameters for wood paper, one skilled in the art will understand how to adjust the creping process so as to obtain creped sheets.

 It has been found that sheets can be treated with strong acids to parchment a portion of the fibrous surface of the sheet matrix. For example, treating the sheet with concentrated sulfuric acid causes the cellulosic fibers to swell and partially dissolve. In this state, plasticized fibers close their pores, fill the surrounding voids and come in closer contact with each other to form a stronger hydrogen bond. Rinsing in water causes re-deposition and consolidation of the network, which leads to the fact that the fibers are stronger not in the dry but in the wet state, that they are free of lint, lack of smell, taste and resistant to fats and oils. By combining the natural stiffness to tear of parchment with the tensile properties of wet creping, it is possible to obtain paper with the ability to better absorb impact.

 In the framework of the present invention, it can be noted that the parchmentation process is expected to work better with increasing fiber content in the sheet. The high fiber content facilitates the compaction of pores and increases the formation of hydrogen bonds in the fibers. However, it should be understood that some acid-sensitive aggregates, such as calcium carbonate, should probably not be used if the sheet is to be parchmented.

 Production of products from fundamentally dry sheets.

Using the above methods, it is possible to produce a variety of sheets with widely varying properties. Sheets can be thin to about 0.1 mm thick or less when very thin, flexible and light sheets are required. The thickness of the sheets can also be up to 1 cm if relatively thick, strong and stiff sheets are required. In addition, the density of the sheets can vary in the range from about 0.6 g / cm ³ to about 2 g / cm ³ . Generally, sheets of higher density are stronger, while sheets of lower density are better insulated. The exact thickness or density of a particular sheet can be designed in advance to obtain a sheet having the desired properties with a cost price that allows sheets to be produced economically and cost-effectively.

 Sheets according to the present invention can be used in any application where paper or paperboard has been used. In addition, due to the unique properties of molding materials, you can get a variety of items that currently require the use of plastics, polystyrene or even metals. In particular, as indicated above, the sheets according to this invention can be used for the manufacture of products and containers.

 The design of the sheets in the corresponding industrial product mainly involves cutting off the sheets from the respective blanks and converting the blanks into the desired product, including containers. The transformation of the blanks into the desired product can be carried out by folding, rolling, folding, wrapping in a spiral, molding, assembling individual blanks, the formation of bags (pockets) and their combination. The conversion process may also include folding part of the product by applying adhesives, bending, applying pressure, tight sealing, re-wetting some part and applying pressure, stitching, tape wrapping, sewing, or a combination thereof. Re-wetting the sheet during the shaping process can help increase flexibility and prevent sheet tearing.

 The described methods of forming sheets according to the present invention in industrial products, as well as the specific structural configurations set forth below, are given only as an example and do not limit this invention. The scope of this invention includes all methods known in the art for converting sheets to products, including containers and other packaging materials made from traditional sheets, for example paper, cardboard, plastic, polystyrene or metal. Within the scope of this invention is the use of conventional equipment, automated processes and semi-automated processes.

 Cutting the sheet in the form of an appropriate workpiece can be carried out using any means known in the art, such as a cutter with a knife blade mounted on a press, a continuous matrix cutting roller, a cutting matrix or scissors. Cutting is also useful for making “windows” in some products. Cutting is also useful in the formation of corrugated boxes with the removal of parts of the sheet for the formation of valves. This type of cutting is called “cutting”.

 Folding blanks involves bringing together at least two parts of a sheet or blank and then joining, merging, combining, bonding or sealing the parts by applying pressure, applying adhesives, bending, tight sealing, re-wetting the parts and applying pressure, stapling, wrapping with tape, sewing or combinations thereof. Folding can be used in conjunction with any transformation process, such as bending, folding, spiral wrapping, forming, assembling and bagging.

 Flexion (folding).

 One way to convert a sheet or workpiece into a desired product involves "folding", which should include bending, folding in half, creating a core, folding, pleating, crimping, frilling, creasing, or creating mechanical spliced products from a sheet or workpiece.

 Products that can be formed from sheets or blanks by folding (folding) include cardboard boxes, boxes, corrugated boxes, shell containers with a core, including containers for core sandwiches, for quick-production sandwiches such as hamburgers , and containers for salads with a rod, boxes for cereal, milk bags, containers for fruit juices, carriers for containers with drinks, ice cream cups, pleated cups, conical cups, French scoops roasts, used in the sale of quick-cooked food, portable boxes with fast-cooked food, bags and envelopes open on one side. To help bend, it may be necessary to incise a sheet or workpiece.

 One of the automated processes for converting workpieces into products, for example into a cardboard with a sealed end, shown in FIG. 32B, starts by loading blanks into the store. Billets, such as the billets shown in FIG. 32A, can be removed each time and transferred in sets on a continuous conveyor to the pre-break section. In the pre-break section, incisions can be made with stationary rounded edged vice by moving one or more panels of the workpiece from the initial plane to the pre-break incisions.

 After the cut lines are broken, the panels can be folded down again as the workpiece moves along the conveyor. Breaking the notch lines helps turn the workpiece into a product, since the force required to bend the pre-bent notch is much reduced. Then, the workpiece is folded and the sides are folded in any folding method to obtain an intermediate shell or tube, as shown in FIG. 32B.

 Coagulation.

 Another way to convert a sheet or workpiece into a desired product is to “roll up,” which involves rolling the workpiece into a container or into another product having walls forming an interior space. Coagulation products can have a wide variety of cross sections, including a circular cross section, an oval cross section, a rectangular cross section with rounded corners, and a rectangular cross section.

 Products that can be formed from sheets or blanks by folding include cups, jars, containers for products such as frozen juice concentrates, crisps, ice cream, salt, detergents and machine oil, mail tubes, rolls of sheets of roll materials, such as wrapping paper, cloth, paper towels and toilet paper, sleeves and straws.

 Preform folding is mainly done by folding or wrapping the preform around the spindle, followed by folding the overlapping ends of the preform. The overlapping ends can be folded together using any of the folding methods described above. You can use a wide variety of means of connecting the ends formed from molding materials or from other materials, depending on the type of product desired.

 The cups can be formed by any process known in the art, including the general method for forming rolled products described above. A preferred method for manufacturing a double cup (cup), in the framework of this invention, involves cutting two blanks from a sheet, a blank of the side wall 163 and a blank of the bottom 165, as shown in FIG. 33A. As shown in FIG. 33B, the blank for the side wall is folded to form the side of the cup, and the lower part of the blank is configured to form the bottom of the cup. The folded side wall of the cup is a truncated conical tube, and the bottom is its bottom.

 An automated process usually consists of the following steps: cutting blanks for the side walls and blanks for the bottom from the sheet; placing the workpiece for the bottom on the free end of the spindle, and the workpiece is held on it with the possibility of its release; wrapping the blank for the side wall around the spindle; overlapping the straight ends of the workpiece for the side wall; folding or otherwise securing overlapping ends; folding or otherwise securing the bottom side of the blank to the base of the folded cup base. In addition, using the bead-forming apparatus, a bead can be formed around the neck of the cup.

 One of the automated cup forming apparatus shown in FIG. 34, involves the operation of a rotating turret turning at a certain angle 164 and having a number of spindles 166. The spindles 166 extend radially outward from the turret 164. One end of the spindle 166 is attached to the turret 164, while the other end extends outward and usually has a flat end face surface. The apparatus comprises a workpiece feed device for the bottom 168, which forms the workpiece for the bottom and feeds the workpiece for the bottom. The workpiece feed device for the bottom 194 places the workpiece for the bottom 165 on the flat end surface of the spindle 166. The workpiece feed device for the side wall 196 feeds the workpieces for the side wall 163 to the spindle 166 after the turret 64 rotates the spindle 166 by a certain angle by correct rotation. The clamp 170 holds the blank for the side wall 163 on the spindle 166 for subsequent molding. Turning a certain angle of the turret 164 moves the spindle 166 with the blank for the side wall 163 to the preparing device for folding 172, which either moistens the ends of the blank for the side wall 163, which must overlap with the addition of adhesive, or apply a coating such as polyethylene.

 The turret is then rotated at a certain angle and the blank folding device for the side wall 174 folds the blank for the side walls 163 around the spindle 166 to form the side walls of the product. The folded side wall has a neck and a base corresponding to the neck and base of the finished cup. Then the turret 164 is rotated at a certain angle to the preparation device for the formation of the bottom 176, which either moistens the base and / or the edge of the workpiece for the bottom 165, applies adhesive or coating. Then the turret 164 is rotated at a certain angle to the bottom forming device 178, which holds together the base and the edge of the bottom blank. After the bottom is formed, the cup is ejected and the spindle 166 is rotated by a certain angle to receive the workpiece for the bottom 165 from the feeder for the workpiece for the bottom 168. Then, the operation cycle is repeated.

 The cup can then also be subjected to additional processing steps, such as the formation of a shoulder around the neck of the cup. One way to form a shoulder is to place the cup so that its neck extends outward to form a shoulder around the neck. In this method, the cup is ejected from the spindle 166 after the bottom of the cup is formed into a series of product receiving elements 180, which extend radially outward from another turret turning at a certain angle 182. Throwing the cup into the receiving device 180 places the cup so that the neck the calyx passed out, and not to the base of the calyx. Then the bead forms a bead-forming device and the product is thrown out. The shoulder forming device 184 may include complementary images on the receiving device 180 and a movable matrix that can compress the neck of the cup to form a shoulder (shoulder).

 Spiral wrap.

 Another way to convert a sheet or workpiece into the desired product is to "wrap in a spiral (spiral winding)", which is similar to folding. Spiral wrapping involves wrapping a sheet or a workpiece by spiral rotation into an article in the shape of a tube or cone. Continuous wrapping with fibers or threads can also be useful for adding extra weight to the product. A wide variety of fastening means, including the fastening means described above and used to make cups, can work with products formed by wrapping in a spiral.

 Dry pressing.

 Another method for converting a sheet or preform into a desired product is “dry pressing”, which involves shaping the sheet or preform by applying lateral force. Products that can be made by dry pressing sheets or blanks include plates, plates, pastry plates, trays, cookie trays, bowls, breakfast plates, microwave dining trays, “television” dining trays, egg boxes, plates for meat packaging, saucers and lids.

 The sheet or preform can be pressed dry between the moving die of the desired shape and the fixed die, the shape of which in principle complements the shape of the moving die. When the preform or part of the sheet is compressed between the matrices, the sheet is formed into an article having a complementary matrix shape. Although the matrices from one integral part (the movable matrix and the stationary matrix are made in the form of a single part each) are the preferred matrices in the sense of simplicity and economy, alternative matrices include split molds, dies with sequential operations and sliding matrices. This process is similar to the wet sheet formation process, except that the sheet is now dry. As a result, the sheet is now less flexible and cannot expand and flow like a wet sheet.

 Assembly.

 "Assembly" is another way of converting a moldable sheet or blank into a product. Many products formed by folding, coiling, wrapping in a spiral or molding, may also involve the assembly of different blanks or parts to form finished products. Products formed from sheets or blanks, at the beginning or in full, by assembling the blanks include solid standing boxes, packaging containers - whatnots and gaskets inserted into containers. Hard boxes formed from sheets are usually not folding and can be covered with a thin decorative sheet-coating. These include cigar boxes, confectionery boxes, and cosmetics boxes.

 Solid boxes can be formed by simply cutting the appropriate blanks and assembling the blanks together. The blanks can also be cut to fold (bending). The corners or parts of the blanks for the box body and the blanks for the lids can be cut with corner cutters so that after assembling the blanks, the corners can be formed by the sides and bottom of the box body or lid. The angles formed by the construction of the blanks can be held by placing small thin supports from sheets or other materials and coated with adhesive around each corner.

 Shelf packaging containers are particularly suitable for displaying the product. Such packaging containers within the framework of this invention can be formed by assembling carrier inserts cut from a sheet and a lid formed from plastic or from a translucent sheet. Shelf packaging containers can be used for packaging and displaying many products, including food products such as lunch mit, office products, cosmetics, metal products and toys. Shelf packing containers come in two flavors - bloated packing containers and smooth packing containers.

 The formation of bags (pockets).

 "Bagging" is another way of converting a sheet or blank into a desired product and involves a process known in the packaging industry as "mold termination (filling)." The formation of pouches by the methods of terminating the mold (filling) gives a continuous process of forming the pouches, filling the pouches with food and sealing (sealing) of the pouches. The formation of the pouches should include the continuous formation of a number of pouches, filling the pouches with products, closing the pouches, and cutting the pouches apart after the pouch is formed, filled and sealed, or after the pouch is formed. Products that can be formed from sheets or blanks by bagging include bags for dried soups, candy wrappers, bags for cereals, bags for crisps, packages for powders, bags for tablets and bags for mixes for making muffins. The operation of the formation of pouches can mainly be carried out by horizontal, vertical and two-sheeted formation of pouches. Horizontal formation, filling and embedding mainly involves folding a continuous sheet in half along its length, folding the sheet at certain intervals to form a series of pouches, which are then filled and closed. The process begins by moving the sheet horizontally through a vise unit, which bends the sheet in half. The folded sheet is folded at intervals into bags to allow the bags to fill with food. Sacks can be filled with products using gravity or other means.

 Vertical formation, filling and termination usually involves the formation of a continuous sheet into the tube at some intervals along its length, folding the tube at some intervals to form a series of bags, filling the bags and then sealing the bag. The sheet is formed into a tube by vertically moving the sheet above the edged vice assembly. Then the tube is folded at intervals into bags and filled in the same way as with vertical molding, filling and sealing. The third method involves the formation of bags by combining two sheets, and at least one of the sheets is an inorganically filled, hydraulically hardening or laminated sheet. A formable sheet or laminate can be combined with other different sheets, including, but not limited to, an inorganically filled sheet, a laminate, a paper sheet, aluminum foil, a cellophane sheet, a plastic sheet, or any layers of these sheets. Two sheets can be combined vertically or horizontally, with each pouch having four folded sides.

 Examples of preferred manufacturing methods are provided at the end of the description.

 These examples are provided to more specifically show the methods for forming articles according to the present invention. Examples include various types of mixtures, including hydraulically hardening and organically filled mixtures, used in conjunction with a number of other manufacturing processes to produce articles of the present invention.

 The first set of examples shows the use of different methods of direct molding to obtain products from hardening mixtures.

Claims (152)

1. The product obtained by the formation and containing an inorganically filled matrix formed by the removal of a significant amount of water by evaporation from an inorganically filled mixture comprising water, a water-dispersible organic polymer binder, an inorganic filler and a fibrous material uniformly dispersed throughout the inorganically filled matrix, characterized in that the content of inorganic aggregate is 20 - 95% by weight of the total amount of solids in the inorganically filled mixtures, and the molding mixture has such rheological properties and preliminary strength in the wet state that in the manufacture of the product, the inorganically filled structural matrix takes a stable form no more than ten minutes after giving it the desired shape of the product, and the inorganically filled matrix has a thickness of 0.01 mm to 1 cm, density up to 1.6 g / cm ³ and is destroyed after prolonged exposure to water.  2. The product according to claim 1, characterized in that the inorganic filler content is 20-50% by weight of the total amount of all solids in the inorganically filled mixture.  3. The product according to claim 1, characterized in that the inorganic aggregate contains many different aggregates.  4. The product according to claim 1, characterized in that the inorganic aggregate contains individual particles of optimal size to achieve a predetermined bulk density of particles in the aggregate.  5. The product according to claim 1, characterized in that the inorganic aggregate contains a light aggregate that reduces the density and improves the insulating properties of the structural matrix, which is preferably at least one of the following: perlite, vermiculite, hollow glass balls, porous ceramic balls , expanded clay, light expanded geological materials, pumice, beads and mixtures thereof.  6. The product according to claim 1, characterized in that the inorganic aggregate is selected from the group consisting of clay, gypsum, calcium carbonate, mica, silica, aluminum, metals, sand, gravel, sandstone, limestone and mixtures thereof.  7. Products according to claim 1, characterized in that the inorganically filled matrix includes an organic aggregate selected from the group consisting of seeds, starch, gelatin, polymers, corks, plastic beads, agar materials, as well as mixtures thereof.  8. The product according to claim 1, characterized in that the inorganically filled mixture further comprises a hydraulically settable binder, which is preferably one of the following: Portland cement, clinker-free slag cement, alumina cement, building gypsum, silicate cement, phosphate cement, fine cement, white Portland cement, alumina cement, magnesia cement, fillers coated with finely dispersed cement particles, calcium sulfate hemihydrate, quicklime, and also mixtures thereof.  9. The product according to claim 1, characterized in that the content of the fibrous material is 0.2 to 50% of the total solids in the inorganically filled mixture, preferably 1 to 30%, particularly preferably 5 to 20% of the total solids substances in an inorganically filled mixture.  10. The product according to claim 1, characterized in that the fibrous material contains organic fibers, which are at least one of the following: hemp, cotton, bagasse, manila hemp, flax, southern pine, hardwood fibers of southern species, and mixtures thereof.  11. The product according to claim 1, characterized in that the fibrous material contains inorganic fibers, preferably at least one of the following substances: glass, silica, ceramics, graphite, metal fiber, mineral wool and mixtures thereof.  12. The product according to claim 1, characterized in that the fibrous material contains individual fibers having a ratio of length and thickness of at least 100: 1.  13. The product according to claim 1, characterized in that the organic binder contains a cellulose-based polymer, preferably containing at least one of the following: methyl hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxymethyl ethyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, methyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl propyl cellulose, and also their .  14. The product according to claim 1, characterized in that the organic binder contains a starch-based polymer, preferably containing at least one of the following: amylopectin, amylose, sigel, starch acetates, oxetyl starch ethers, ionic starches, amyl starch with long chain, dextrins, amine starches, phosphate starches, dialdehyde starches, as well as mixtures or derivatives thereof.  15. The product according to claim 1, characterized in that the organic binder contains a protein-based substance, preferably containing at least one of the following: prolamine, collagen, gelatin, glue, casein, as well as mixtures or derivatives thereof.  16. The product according to claim 1, characterized in that the organic binder contains a polysaccharide resin, preferably containing at least one of the following: alginic acid, phycocolloids, agar, Arabic resin, guar resin, robinia bean resin, karaya resin, tragacanth resin, as well as mixtures or derivatives thereof.  17. The product according to claim 1, characterized in that the organic binder contains a synthetic organic polymer containing at least one of the following: polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyethylene glycol, polyvinyl alcohol, copolymer of polyvinyl methyl ether, polyacrylic acids, salts of polyacrylic acids, polyvinyl acrylic acids, polyvinyl acrylic salts acids, polyacrylamides, polylactic acid, ethylene oxide polymers, synthetic resin, latex, as well as mixtures or derivatives thereof.  18. The product according to claim 1, characterized in that the content of the organic binder is 1 to 50% of the total solids in the inorganically filled mixture, preferably 5 to 20% of the total solids in the inorganically filled mixture.  19. The product according to claim 1, characterized in that the content of the organic binder and fibrous material together is 5-60% of the total solids in an inorganically filled mixture, preferably 5-30% of the total solids in an inorganically filled mixture .  20. The product according to claim 1, characterized in that the inorganically filled mixture further comprises a dispersant, preferably containing at least one of the following: sulfonated naphthalene formaldehyde condensate, sulfonated melamine formaldehyde condensate, lignosulfonate and polyacrylic acid.  21. The product according to claim 1, characterized in that the structural matrix includes an intermittent non-agglomerate phase containing finely divided voids.  22. The product according to claim 1, characterized in that the inorganically filled matrix has a thickness of from 0.1 to 3 mm, preferably from 0.5 to 2 mm. 23. The product according to claim 1, characterized in that the matrix has a density of from 0.1 to 1.5 g / cm ³ . 24. The product according to claim 1, characterized in that the matrix has a ratio of tensile strength and bulk density from 2 to 200 MPa-cm ³ / g, preferably from 3 to 50 MPa-cm ³ / g  25. The product according to claim 1, characterized in that it is a sheet.  26. The product according to claim 1, characterized in that it is made in the form of a container, preferably representing one of the following: box, box, bag, tube, cup, “shell”, cardboard box, box for French fries, plate, vase , corrugated box or lid.  27. The product according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises a coating preferably of at least one of the following materials: melamine, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl acetate, polyacrylate, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, polyethylene glycol, acrylic resins, polyurethane, polylactic acid, starch, soybean protein, polyethylene, synthetic polymers, waxes, elastomers, sodium silicate, calcium carbonate, kaolin, ceramics, as well as mixtures thereof.  28. The product according to item 27, wherein the coating is installed to counteract the inorganically filled matrix destructive effects of water.  29. The product according to claim 1, characterized in that it additionally contains distinctive signs. 30. An article containing a molded sheet having an inorganically filled matrix formed by removing a significant amount of water by evaporation from an inorganically filled mixture comprising water, an aqueous polymer dispersible organic binder, a fibrous material and an inorganic filler uniformly dispersed throughout the inorganically filled matrix, characterized in that the content of inorganic aggregate is 20 - 95% by weight of the total amount of all solids in the inorganic bulk of the mixture, and the mixture has such rheological properties and preliminary wet strength that in the manufacture of the product, the inorganically filled structural matrix takes a stable shape no more than ten minutes after giving it the desired shape of the product, the molded sheet has a thickness of from 0.01 mm to 1 cm and a density of up to 1.6 g / cm ³ , and the inorganically filled matrix is destroyed after prolonged exposure to water.  31. The product according to p. 30, characterized in that the content of inorganic aggregate is 20 to 50% by weight of the total amount of all solids in the inorganically filled mixture.  32. The product according to item 30, wherein the inorganic aggregate contains many different aggregates.  33. The product according to item 30, wherein the inorganic aggregate contains individual particles of optimal size to achieve a predetermined bulk density of particles in the aggregate.  34. The product according to p. 30, characterized in that the inorganic aggregate contains a light filler that reduces the density and improves the insulating properties of the structural matrix, which is preferably at least one of the following: perlite, vermiculite, hollow glass balls, porous ceramic balls , expanded clay, light expanded geological materials, pumice, beads and mixtures thereof.  35. The product according to item 30, wherein the inorganic aggregate is selected from the group consisting of clay, gypsum, calcium carbonate, mica, silica, aluminum, metals, sand, gravel, sandstone, limestone and mixtures thereof.  36. The product according to p. 30, characterized in that the inorganically filled matrix includes an organic filler selected from the group consisting of seeds, starch, gelatin, polymers, corks, plastic balls, agar materials, as well as mixtures thereof.  37. The product according to p. 30, characterized in that the inorganically filled mixture further comprises a hydraulically settable binder, which is preferably one of the following: Portland cement, clinker-free slag cement, aluminous cement, building gypsum, silicate cement, phosphate cement, fine cement, white Portland cement, alumina cement, magnesia cement, fillers coated with finely dispersed cement particles, calcium sulfate hemihydrate, quicklime, and also mixtures thereof.  38. The product according to item 30, wherein the content of the fibrous material is 0.2 to 50% of the total solids in the inorganically filled mixture, preferably 1 to 30%, particularly preferably 5 to 20% of the total solids substances in an inorganically filled mixture.  39. The product according to p. 30, characterized in that the fibrous material contains organic fibers, which are at least one of the following: hemp, cotton, bagasse, Manila hemp, flax, southern pine, hardwood fibers of southern species, and mixtures thereof.  40. The product according to item 30, wherein the fibrous material contains inorganic fibers, preferably at least one of the following substances: glass, silica, ceramics, graphite, metal fiber, mineral wool and mixtures thereof.  41. The product according to p. 30, characterized in that the fibrous material contains individual fibers having a ratio of length and thickness of at least 100: 1.  42. The product according to item 30, wherein the organic binder contains a cellulose-based polymer, preferably containing at least one of the following: methyl hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxymethyl ethyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, methyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl propyl cellulose, and also their .  43. The product according to item 30, wherein the organic binder contains a starch-based polymer, preferably containing at least one of the following: amylopectin, amylose, sigel, starch acetates, oxetyl starch ethers, ionic starches, long-starch amyl starches chain, dextrins, amine starches, phosphate starches, dialdehyde starches, as well as mixtures or derivatives thereof.  44. The product according to item 30, wherein the organic binder contains a protein-based substance, preferably containing at least one of the following: prolamine, collagen, gelatin, glue, casein, as well as mixtures or derivatives thereof.  45. The product according to item 30, wherein the organic binder contains a polysaccharide resin, preferably containing at least one of the following: alginic acid, phycocolloids, agar, Arabic resin, guar resin, robinia bean resin, karaya resin, tragacanth resin as well as mixtures or derivatives thereof.  46. The product according to item 30, wherein the organic binder contains a synthetic organic polymer containing at least one of the following: polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyethylene glycol, polyvinyl alcohol, copolymer of polyvinyl methyl ether, polyacrylic acids, salts of polyacrylic acids, polyvinyl acrylic acids, salts polyvinylacrylic acids, polyacrylimides, polylactic acid, ethylene oxide polymers, synthetic resin, latex, as well as mixtures or derivatives thereof.  47. The product according to item 30, wherein the content of the organic binder is 1 to 50% of the total solids in an inorganically filled mixture, preferably 5 to 20% of the total solids in an inorganically filled mixture.  48. The product according to p. 30, characterized in that the content of the organic binder and fibrous material together is 5-60% of the total solids in an inorganically filled mixture, preferably 5-30% of the total solids in an inorganically filled mixture .  49. The product of claim 30, wherein the inorganically filled mixture further comprises a dispersant, preferably comprising at least one of the following: sulfonated naphthalene formaldehyde condensate, sulfonated melamine formaldehyde condensate, lignosulfonate and polyacrylic acid.  50. The product according to item 30, wherein the structural matrix includes an intermittent non-agglomerate phase containing finely divided voids.  51. The product according to item 30, wherein the inorganically filled matrix has a thickness of from 0.1 to 3 mm, preferably from 0.5 to 2 mm. 52. The product according to item 30, wherein the matrix has a density of from 0.1 to 1.5 g / cm ³ . 53. The product according to p. 30, characterized in that the matrix has a ratio of tensile strength and bulk density from 2 to 200 MPa-cm ³ / g, preferably from 3 to 40 MPa-cm ³ / g  54. The product according to p. 30, characterized in that it is a sheet.  55. The product according to p. 30, characterized in that it is made in the form of a container, preferably one of the following: box, box, bag, tube, cup, “shell”, cardboard box, box for French fries, plate, vase , corrugated box or lid.  56. The product according to p. 30, characterized in that it further comprises a coating, preferably of at least one of the following materials: melamine, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl acetate, polyacrylate, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, polyethylene glycol, acrylic resins, polyurethane, polylactic acid , starch, soybean protein, polyethylene, synthetic polymers, wax, elastomers, sodium silicate, calcium carbonate, kaolin, ceramics, as well as mixtures thereof.  57. The product according to p. 56, characterized in that the coating is installed to counteract the inorganically filled matrix of the destructive effect of water.  58. The product according to p. 30, characterized in that it additionally contains distinctive signs. 59. A method of manufacturing a product from an inorganically filled matrix, comprising mixing a water-dispersible organic polymeric binder, an inorganic aggregate, water and fibrous material to form a molding mixture with inorganic aggregate and fibrous material uniformly dispersed therein and molding the mixture to remove a significant portion of the water from the inorganically filled matrix in an accelerated way by evaporation, characterized in that the inorganic aggregate is introduced in a quantity 20–95% by weight of the total amount of solids in the mixture, and the mixture is formed into the product of the desired form without substantially removing liquid water from the mixture and drying the organic polymer binder and forming an inorganically filled matrix of the product in such a way that the product reaches stable form no more than 10 minutes after giving it the desired shape, and the inorganically filled matrix has a thickness of not more than 2 cm and a density of up to 1.6 g / cm ³ .  60. A method of manufacturing a product according to § 59, characterized in that a dispersant is added to the mixture with stirring.  61. The method of manufacturing the product according to § 59, characterized in that, while stirring, a substance involving air is added to the mixture to include a discrete phase of air voids, preferably a surfactant.  62. A method of manufacturing an article of claim 61, wherein a stabilizer is added to the mixture with stirring to maintain a discrete phase of voids in the mixture.  63. The method of manufacturing the product according to § 59, characterized in that the components are added in a ratio that provides a mixture with a yield strength in the range from 5 kPa to 5 MPa.  64. The method of manufacturing the product according to § 59, wherein the mixing is carried out using a mixing device with high shear.  65. The method of manufacturing the product according to § 59, characterized in that the mixing and at least partially molding is carried out using a twin-screw extruder.  66. The method of manufacturing the product according to § 59, characterized in that the mixing includes dispersing the fibrous material into the mixture by mixing with high shear for a period of time sufficient to disperse individual fibers of the fibrous material throughout the mixture, mixing the organic binder with the mixture by mixing with a large shear to uniformly disperse the fibrous material throughout the mixture and adding a lightweight aggregate to the mixture by mixing at low effort uu shift.  67. The method of manufacturing the product according to § 59, characterized in that with stirring, a hydraulically curing binder is additionally added to the mixture.  68. The method of manufacturing the product according to § 59, characterized in that it further includes adding an absorbent material to the mixture, exposing the mixture under pressure with the expander to adsorb the expander in the absorbent material, and weakening the pressure on the mixture to increase the expander to form air in the mixture voids.  69. The method of manufacturing the product according to § 59, characterized in that the molding is carried out by a process selected from the group consisting of compression molding, injection molding, blow molding, jigging, sheet forming from a moistened mass and semi-dry sheet forming. 70. The method of manufacturing the product according to § 59, characterized in that the molding is carried out using molding means heated to a temperature sufficient to, in principle, prevent the product from sticking to the molding means, preferably in the range from 50 to 250 ^o C.  71. The method of manufacturing the product according to § 59, characterized in that the molding is carried out using molding means, before molding, the mixture is preheated to an elevated temperature, and the molding means is cooled to a lower temperature, lower than this elevated temperature, and which is sufficient, to prevent the product from sticking to the mold in principle.  72. The method of manufacturing the product according to § 59, characterized in that the molding is carried out in less than 30 s and the molded product reaches a stable shape in a specified period of time, and preferably this period of time is less than 10 s.  73. The method of manufacturing the product according to § 59, characterized in that the product is selected from the group consisting of a box, box, bag, tube, cup, shell, cardboard box, French fries box, plates, bowls and lids .  74. The method of manufacturing the product according to § 59, characterized in that the molding includes placing the mixture between the punch and the die having a shape basically corresponding to the shape of the punch having a top and a circular base, compressing the mixture between the punch and the die to form the mixture into the product of the desired shape and the removal of the punch and the matrix from the product after the product reaches a stable shape, when it can remain without maintaining the punch and the matrix.  75. The method of manufacturing the product according to § 59, characterized in that the molding includes the use of at least one mold selected from the group consisting of a split mold, a sequential action form and a composite die.  76. The method of manufacturing the product according to item 74, wherein the placement of the mixture is carried out by introducing the punch partially complementary into the matrix to form a gap between them and injecting the mixture between the punch and the matrix.  77. The method of manufacturing the product according to p, characterized in that the mixture is injected between the punch and the matrix through the inlet in one of the forms.  78. The method of manufacturing the product according to item 74, wherein the punch and die during molding exert pressure on the mixture in the range from 50 to 20,000 pounds per square inch, preferably in the range from 100 to 5000 pounds per square inch.  79. The method of manufacturing the product according to item 74, wherein the microwaves are additionally directed to the product to dry to a stable shape before removing the punch and matrix.  80. A method of manufacturing a product according to claim 74, characterized in that when removing the product, air is blown through the ventilation holes in the punch to facilitate removal of the product from the matrix.  81. The method of manufacturing the product according to § 59, characterized in that the molding includes injecting the mixture into the mold corresponding to the desired shape of the product under sufficient pressure to fill the mold, and removing the product from the mold after the product reaches a stable shape when it can remain without maintaining shape.  82. The method of manufacturing the product according to § 59, characterized in that the molding includes injecting the mixture into the cavity of the draft form around the central rod located in it, placing the central rod with the mixture placed on it into the mold for blow molding, having the desired shape of the product, blowing air through the central rod to expand the mixture in the form of blow molding to obtain the product of the desired shape and removing the blow molding form from the product after the molded product reaches a stable shape when can remain without supporting form.  83. The method of manufacturing the product according to § 59, wherein the molding the mixture into the desired shape includes extruding the mixture into a tube shape, capturing the tube with a mold for extrusion blow molding having two halves and walls forming a cavity corresponding to the desired shape of the product, introducing a tip for supplying air to the tube clamped in the mold, blowing air through the nozzle for supplying air to expand the mixture and distributing it to the walls of the mold to obtain the desired shape of the product and removing the mold from the product by separation of its two halves after the product reaches a stable shape, when it can remain without maintaining shape.  84. The method of manufacturing the product according to § 59, characterized in that the molding of the product in the desired shape includes placing the mixture in a jigger mold having walls forming a cavity corresponding to the desired shape of the product, pressing a rotating roll head to the mixture to distribute the mixture over the walls of the mold and obtaining the desired shape of the product and removing the product from the mold after the product has reached a stable shape, when it can remain without maintaining the jigging mold.  85. The method of manufacturing the product according to § 59, wherein the molding is the formation of a mixture in the form of a sheet, and then the formation of a sheet in the form of a product by molding.  86. The method of manufacturing the product according to § 59, characterized in that it additionally print on the dried product.  87. The method of manufacturing the product according to § 59, characterized in that it additionally coat the hardened product.  88. The method of manufacturing the product according to § 59, characterized in that the product is obtained having a thickness of from 0.05 to 3 mm, preferably from 0.5 to 1 mm. 89. A method of manufacturing a product having an inorganically filled matrix, comprising mixing an organic polymeric binder, an inorganic filler, water and fibrous material to form an inorganically filled matrix with inorganic filler and fibrous material uniformly dispersed therein and molding the mixture to remove a significant portion of the water from the molded sheet in an accelerated way by evaporation, characterized in that the inorganic aggregate is introduced in an amount of 20 to 95% by weight and the total amount of solids in the mixture, and the formation of the mixture in the form of a sheet is carried out without significant removal of water in a liquid state from the mixture and the sheet is formed into the product of the desired shape and with substantial drying of the organic polymer binder and the formation of an inorganically filled matrix of the product so that the product reaches a stable form no more than 10 minutes after giving it the desired shape, and the inorganically filled matrix has a thickness of not more than 2 cm and a density of up to 1.6 g / cm ³ .  90. The method of manufacturing the product according to p, characterized in that a dispersant is added to the mixture with stirring.  91. The method of manufacturing the product according to p. 89, characterized in that while stirring, a substance involving air is added to the mixture to include a discrete phase of air voids, preferably a surfactant.  92. A method of manufacturing a product according to claim 91, characterized in that a stabilizer is added to the mixture with stirring to maintain a discrete phase of voids in the mixture.  93. The method of manufacturing the product according to p. 89, characterized in that the components are added in a ratio that provides a mixture with a yield strength in the range from 5 kPa to 5 MPa.  94. The method of manufacturing the product according to p. 89, characterized in that the mixing is carried out using a mixing device with high shear.  95. The method of manufacturing the product according to p, characterized in that the mixing and at least partially molding is carried out using a twin screw extruder.  96. The method of manufacturing the product according to p. 89, characterized in that the mixing includes dispersing the fibrous material into the mixture by mixing with high shear for a period of time sufficient to disperse the individual fibers of the fibrous material throughout the mixture, mixing the organic binder with the mixture by mixing with high shear to disperse the fibrous material uniformly throughout the mixture and adding a light filler to the mixture by mixing at low effort uu shift.  97. The method of manufacturing the product according to p. 89, characterized in that the hydraulically settable binder is added to the mixture with stirring.  98. The method of manufacturing the product according to p. 89, characterized in that it further includes adding an absorbent material to the mixture, exposing the mixture to pressure under the expander to adsorb the expander in the absorbent material, and weakening the pressure on the mixture to increase the expander to form air in the mixture voids. 99. The method of manufacturing the product according to p. 89, characterized in that the molding is carried out using molding means heated to a temperature sufficient to, in principle, prevent the product from sticking to the molding means, preferably in the range from 50 to 250 ^o C.  100. The method of manufacturing the product according to p. 89, characterized in that the molding is carried out in less than 30 s and the molded product reaches a stable shape for a specified period of time, and preferably this period of time is less than 10 s.  101. The method of manufacturing the product according to p. 89, characterized in that the product is selected from the group consisting of a box, box, bag, tube, cup, shell, cardboard box, French fries box, plates, bowls and lids .  102. The method of manufacturing the product according to p, characterized in that the sheet is molded into the product during the vacuum molding process, preferably representing at least one of the following processes: molding "wallpaper material", direct vacuum molding, vacuum molding "wallpaper material" , vacuum spinning with abrupt unwinding, vacuum waveform type big wave - air glide, vacuum waveform type big wave - wallpaper material, vacuum molding using tube gauge, type molding big I am a wave (with the help of a gauge cork) with a sharp unwinding and the formation of a double sheet.  103. The method of manufacturing the product according to p, characterized in that the sheet is formed into the product of the desired shape by pressure.  104. The method of manufacturing the product according to p, characterized in that the formation of the sheet includes the passage of the mixture between a pair of rollers. 105. The method of manufacturing the product according to item 104, wherein the rollers are heated to reduce the adhesion of the mixture to them, preferably to a temperature of from 60 to 140 ^o C.  106. The method of manufacturing the product according to p. 105, characterized in that the rollers are heated to significantly reduce the amount of water in the mixture. 107. The method of manufacturing the product according to p. 104, characterized in that the mixture is further heated to a first temperature and the rollers are cooled to a second temperature, which is much lower than the first temperature, to reduce the adhesion of the heated mixture to the cooled rollers, and preferably the first temperature is from 20 to 80 ^o C, and the second temperature is from 0 to 40 ^o C.  108. The method of manufacturing the product according to p, characterized in that the formation of the sheet includes extruding the mixture through a mold having a slot for forming a mixture in the form of a sheet.  109. A method of manufacturing an article of claim 108, wherein the extruded mixture is additionally passed between a pair of crimp rollers.  110. The method of manufacturing the product according to p, characterized in that the thickness of the sheet is gradually reduced by passing the sheet through several sets of crimp rollers, the gap between which is gradually reduced.  111. A method of manufacturing an article of claim 89, wherein the sheet is additionally passed over at least one drying roller.  112. The method of manufacturing the product according to p. 89, characterized in that it further passes the sheet between at least one set of sealing rollers to reduce the amount of unwanted voids and defects in the sheet and increase the density of the sheet.  113. The method of manufacturing the product according to p. 89, characterized in that the sheet is additionally passed between a pair of calendaring rollers, one of which is a hard roller, and the other is a soft roller, and the hard roller smoothes out the contact surface of the sheet.  114. The method of manufacturing the product according to p. 89, characterized in that it further passes a sheet between a pair of corrugating rollers to form a corrugated sheet.  115. The method of manufacturing the product according to p. 89, characterized in that the product is molded from a sheet by pressing the sheet between the punch and the matrix having a shape corresponding to the shape of the punch, to form a sheet in the desired shape of the product and remove the punch and matrix from the product after reaching the product stable form when it can remain without support by a punch and a matrix.  116. The method of manufacturing the product according to p, characterized in that it additionally print on the dried product.  117. The method of manufacturing the product according to p. 89, characterized in that it additionally coat the hardened product.  118. The method of manufacturing the product according to p. 89, characterized in that the product is obtained having a thickness of from 0.05 to 3 mm, preferably from 0.5 to 1 mm. 119. A device for manufacturing an article containing a mixing means for forming a fundamentally cohesive and uniformly dispersed inorganically filled mixture, a molding means and a drying means, characterized in that the mixing means is configured to prepare a molding mixture comprising a water-dispersible organic binder, inorganic aggregate with a concentration of 20 - 95% by weight of the total amount of solids in the mixture, water and fibrous material, the molding tool is made but with the provision of molding the inorganically filled matrix into the desired shape of the product with a thickness of not more than 2 cm and a density of up to 1.6 g / cm ³ , and the drying means is performed to ensure the removal of a significant part of the water from the molding mixture in an accelerated way for the product to acquire a stable form no more than 10 minutes after its first molding into the desired shape of the product.  120. The device for manufacturing the product according p, characterized in that the mixing means is configured to provide a large shear.  121. The device for manufacturing the product according p, characterized in that the mixing means and at least part of the molding means contains a twin-screw extruder, preferably capable of evacuating the mixture to remove unwanted air from it.  122. The device for manufacturing the product according p, characterized in that the mixing means is configured to perform mixing with high and low power.  123. The device for manufacturing the product according p, characterized in that the molding means includes an extruder, preferably at least one of the following types: a screw extruder, a cylinder with a screw reciprocating action and a screw injector.  124. The device for manufacturing the product according p, characterized in that the molding tool contains a corresponding punch and a die to ensure that the mixture is pressed between them into the product of the desired shape.  125. The device for manufacturing the product according p, characterized in that the molding means includes an extruder configured to inject the mixture into a closed mold for subsequent molding of the mixture into the product of the desired shape.  126. The device for manufacturing the product according p, characterized in that the molding means comprises an extruder made with the possibility of injection of the mixture into the cavity of the draft form and around the central rod located in it, having at least one hole through which air can be supplied for expanding the mixture and a mold for blow molding during injection, having a cavity corresponding to the desired shape of the product, so that the central rod with the mixture on it is placed in the mold for blow molding and blowing air through the central rod to form the desired shape from the mixture of the product.  127. The device for manufacturing the product according p, characterized in that the molding tool comprises an extruder having a round extrusion head for extruding the mixture in the form of a tube, a form for blow molding, having two halves capable of capturing the extruded tube, and a cavity, corresponding to the shape of the desired product, as well as the tip of the air supply, placed in an extruded tube captured by two halves of the mold, for supplying air to form a mixture into the product of the desired shape.  128. The device for manufacturing the product according p, characterized in that the molding tool comprises a jigging mold having an inner wall forming a cavity corresponding to the desired shape of the product, a spindle for supporting and rotating the mold on it, and a roll head located in the press cavity - forms with the possibility of rapid rotation, for pressing the mixture, which is in the form for jigging, by pressing it to the inner wall.  129. The device for manufacturing the product according to p, characterized in that the roll head has a polished metal surface.  130. The device for manufacturing the product according p, characterized in that the roll head is heated.  131. The device for manufacturing the product according p, characterized in that the drying means comprises a furnace capable of supplying heated air to the product after it is molded.  132. The device for manufacturing the product according to p, characterized in that the drying means further includes a blower configured to circulate air from the furnace over the products to increase the rate of evaporation of water from the mixture.  133. A device for manufacturing the product according p, characterized in that the drying means includes a microwave emitter.  134. The device for manufacturing the product according p, characterized in that it further comprises printing means for applying designations to the hardened product.  135. The device for manufacturing the product according p, characterized in that it further comprises a means for coating the hardened material.  136. The device for manufacturing the product according to p, characterized in that the coating device comprises a coating device selected from the group consisting of a device with a doctor blade, a thrombus device, an air scraper device, a printing device, a corrugated device roller, Dalgren apparatus and spray device.  137. The device for manufacturing the product according p, characterized in that the molding means are coated with a release agent to prevent the molding product from sticking to them. 138. A device for manufacturing an article containing a mixing means for forming a basically cohesive and uniformly dispersed inorganically filled mixture, a molding means and a drying means, characterized in that the mixing means is configured to prepare a molding mixture comprising a water-dispersible organic binder, inorganic aggregate with a concentration of 20 - 95% by weight of the total amount of solids in the mixture, water and fibrous material, the device includes the means of forming the mixture into a wet sheet, and the molding tool is made to ensure the formation of the inorganically filled mixture into the product of the desired shape with a thickness of 0.01 mm to 2 cm and a density of 1.6 g / cm ³ , while the drying means is made to ensure removal a substantial part of the water from the molding sand in an accelerated manner for the product to acquire a stable form no more than 10 minutes after the first molding into the product of the desired shape.  139. The device for manufacturing the product according to p, characterized in that the mixing means is configured to provide high shear.  140. The device for manufacturing the product according p, characterized in that the mixing means and at least part of the molding means contains a twin-screw extruder, preferably capable of evacuating the mixture to remove unwanted air from it.  141. The device for manufacturing the product according to p, characterized in that the mixing means is configured to perform mixing with high and low power.  142. The device for manufacturing the product according to p, characterized in that the sheet forming means includes an extruder having an extrusion head with a slot through which the sheet-shaped mixture is extruded.  143. The device for manufacturing the product according to p, characterized in that the sheet forming means further includes at least one pair of crimp rollers for passing through the extruded sheet.  144. The device for manufacturing the product according to p, characterized in that the sheet forming means includes a pair of extruding rollers installed with the possibility of passing through the bottom of the mixture for direct sheet formation.  145. The device for manufacturing the product according to p, characterized in that the sheet forming means includes at least a pair of corrugated rollers for passing the sheet, at least one drying roller for passing over the sheet, at least one pair of sealing rollers for passing through them a sheet and at least one soft and one hard rollers for passing through them a sheet.  146. The device for manufacturing the product according to p, characterized in that the drying means comprises a furnace capable of supplying heated air to the product after its formation.  147. The device for manufacturing the product according to p, characterized in that the drying means further includes a blower configured to circulate air from the furnace over the products to increase the rate of evaporation of water from the mixture.  148. The device for manufacturing the product according to p, characterized in that the drying means includes a microwave emitter.  149. The device for manufacturing the product according to p. 139, characterized in that it further comprises printing means for applying designations to the hardened product.  150. The device for manufacturing the product according p, characterized in that it further comprises a means for coating the hardened material.  151. A device for manufacturing a product according to p. 150, characterized in that the coating device comprises a coating device selected from the group consisting of a device with a doctor blade, a thrombus device with an air scraper, a printing device, a device with a grooved roller, Dalgren apparatus and spray device.  152. The device for manufacturing the product according to p, characterized in that the molding means are coated with a release agent to prevent the molding product from sticking to them. Priority on points:
07/21/93 and 11/19/93 - according to claims 1, 30, 59, 89, 119;
07.21.93 - according to claims 2 - 29, 31 - 58, 60 - 88, 90 - 118, 120 - 137, 139 - 152;
11/19/93 - according to p. 138.

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