C04B - Definition

Definition statement

This subclass covers:

Chemical aspects of the processing of lime, magnesia or dolomite and of molten slag.

Compositional aspects of:

• inorganic binders, such as hydraulic cements;
• mortars, concrete and artificial stone, e.g. the choice of fillersor active ingredientstherefore;
• shaped ceramic products, e.g. clay-wares, refractories, non-oxides.

Physico-chemical aspects of methods for obtaining mortars, concrete, artificial stones or ceramics, e.g. for delaying the setting time of mortar compositions.

Treatment including defibrillating of materials such as fillers, agglomerated or waste materials, or refuse to enhance their filling properties in mortars, concrete or artificial stone.

Porous mortars, concrete, artificial stone or ceramic ware, and the preparation thereof.

Methods and apparatusfor:

• burning or slaking lime;
• obtaining mineral binders, e.g. Portland cementor hemihydrate plaster;
• the expansion of mineral fillers, such as clay, perlite or vermiculite.

After- treatmentof artificial stones, mortars, concrete and ceramics, e.g. coating or impregnation of green concrete after primary shaping.

Non-mechanical treatmentof natural stone.

Processing powders of inorganic compounds in preparationto the manufacturing of ceramic products.

The joining of burned ceramicswith other articles by heating.

References relevant to classification in this subclass

This subclass does not cover:

Granulating apparatus	B01J 2/00
Mechanical featuresrelating to the working of mortars, concrete, stone, clay-wares or ceramics, e.g. mixing or shaping ceramic compositions, boring natural stone	B28
Chemical preparation of powders of inorganic compounds	C01
Devitrified glass-ceramics	C03C 10/00
Compositions containing free metal bonded to carbides, diamond, oxides, borides, nitrides, silicides, e.g. cermets, or other metal compounds, such as oxynitrides or sulfides, other than as macroscopic reinforcing agents	C22C
Building elements or constructions; Finishing work on buildings	E04

Informative references

Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:

Materialsfor prostheses or for coating prostheses	A61L 27/00
Chemical or biological purification of waste gases	B01D 53/34
Layered products	B32B
Treating inorganic non-fibrous materialsto enhance their pigmenting or filling properties	C09C
Cementing or plastering compositions for boreholes or wells	C09K 8/00
Adhesives	C09J
Alloys based on refractory metals	C22C
Shaft or vertical furnaces in general	F27B 1/00
Hydraulic hardening materials, e.g. concretes, ceramicsor refractoriesfor protection against radiation, i.e. shielding	G21F 1/00

Special rules of classification

Active ingredientswhich react with cementcompounds for forming new or modified mineralogical phases and are added before the hardening process, as well as cementsadded as additives to other cements, are classified in groups C04B 7/00 to C04B 12/00, e.g. in group C04B 7/42.

In each set of groups C04B 7/00 to C04B 32/00 and C04B 41/45 to C04B 41/91, in the absence of an indication to the contrary, classification is made in the last appropriate place, e.g. classifiable subject matter relating to:

• an hydraulic cementis classified in main group C04B 7/00;
• an admixture of an additive to a cementafter the burning step or in the absence of a burning step is classified in one or more of main groups C04B 14/00 to C04B 24/00;
• an inorganic accelerator for cementis classified in main group C04B 22/00;
• a mortar composition containing an hydraulic cement, an organic co-binder, fillersand active ingredients, such as surfactants and anti-foam agents, is classified in main group C04B 28/00.

Any ingredient of compositions of mortars, concrete or artificial stone, classified in groups C04B 26/00 to C04B 32/00 in accordance with the previous special rules, and which itself is determined to be novel and non-obvious, must also be classified in groups C04B 7/00 to C04B 24/00 respecting these previous rules.

This can be the case when, e.g.:

• the actual invention relates to one of the ingredients of the mixture;
• a special organic co-binder is used in combination with an hydraulic cement(C04B 24/24).

Any ingredient of compositions of mortars, concrete or artificial stone, which is not identified by the classification in groups C04B 26/00 to C04B 32/00 in accordance with the previous rules, and which is considered to represent information of particular interest for search, may also be classified respecting these previous notes. This can for example be the case when, it is considered of interestto enable searching of compositions using a combination of classification symbols. Such non-obligatory classification should be given as "additional information". For example:

• the problem-solution aspectof the invention relates to one of the ingredients in particular, such as the corrosion problem of glass fibres in a concrete matrix (additional classification in C04B 14/42);
• well defined Portland cementmortar mixture containing clay as an essentialor characterising filler (additional classification in C04B 14/10);
• unusual ingredients used.

Artificial stone compositions containing fibres but no binders, and voids which may occur between the intertwined fibres, are not considered porous in the sense of main group C04B 38/00. In the same way, such compositions, where binder is only present on the mutual contact points of the intertwined fibres, are not considered as compositions covered by main groups C04B 26/00 to C04B 28/00.

Use of indexing codes:

• when classifying in main groups C04B 22/00 or C04B 24/00, it is desirable to add the indexing codes of group C04B 103/00 relating to the function or property of the active ingredients;
• when classifying in main groups C04B 26/00 to C04B 32/00, it is desirable to add the indexing codes of group C04B 111/00 relating to the function, property or use of the mortars, concrete or artificial stone.

Glossary of terms

In this subclass, the following terms or expressions are used with the meaning indicated:

Active ingredients	Ingredients having an effect on the mortar-, concrete- or artificial stone composition during processing or on the characteristics of the final product, e.g. as set accelerator, as dispersant or as gas generating agent. Other examples are processing aids or property improvers, e.g. grinding aids, used after the cement burning process or in the absence of such a burning process.
Cement	The binder proper, i.e. excluding any additional ingredient or additive added to the finished binder as such, with the exception of mixtures of binders.
Cement composition	In patent literature this term might be used in the sense of " cement" as well as in the sense of a "mortar-, concrete- or artificial stone composition". For classification and search, the term must be interpreted using the Glossary as guidance.
Clinker	The unground sintered product leaving the cementkiln. In patent literature this term might be used literally, i.e. to indicate the unground sintered product leaving the cementkiln, or it might be used to indicate the ground cementwithout any additive, i.e. not interground with additives such as gypsum.
Ceramics	Inorganic, non metallic products obtained by a process involving a shaping step and a sintering or comparable heat treatment step, with the exclusion of cements, cermets and glasses, glazes, vitreous enamels and devitrified glass ceramics.
Fillers	Inactive ingredients, include pigments, aggregates and fibrous reinforcing materials.
Fine ceramics	Ceramicshaving a polycrystalline fine-grained microstructure, e.g. of dimensions below 100 micrometer.
Hydraulic binder	For the purpose of classification and search in this subclass, the terms " cement" and " hydraulic binder" are considered to be equivalent, even if in literature, an hydraulic bindermight be defined as a mixture of cementand one or more inorganic additives.
Mortar-	They are considered as a single group of materials, are mixtures of one or more binders with fillersor other ingredients. In the context of such compositions, the terms " cement" and "binder" are considered equivalent.
Resin mortar or resin concrete	Mortar or concrete containing resin as a binder instead of cement, i.e. excluding any inorganic binder and containing a considerable amount of inorganic filler compared with the amount of the organic binder.
Refractories	Ceramicsor mortars withstanding high temperatures of at least about 1500 degrees C. For classification and search in this subclass no substantial distinction is made between the terms " refractories" and " ceramics".
Porous materials	Materials which are deliberately made porous, e.g. by adding gas-forming, foaming, burnable or lightweight additives to the composition they are made of.