Articles formed by extruding hydraulically settable compositions

An article of manufacture having a hydraulically settable matrix formed by the process comprising the steps of:

• mixing together a hydraulically settable binder, at least one aggregate material, and water to form a hydraulically settable mixture that is initially granular and substantially noncohesive;
• extruding the hydraulically settable mixture under a pressure sufficient to cause the initially granular and substantially noncohesive hydraulically settable mixture to become cohesive and flow through a die to form an extruded article of manufacture of a desired shape that is form-stable immediately upon being extruded through the die;
• and
• allowing the extruded article of manufacture to cure to form the hydraulically settable matrix of the article, the hydraulically settable matrix having a wall thickness less than about 3 mm.

An article of manufacture having a hydraulically settable matrix, the article formed by the process comprising the steps of:

• mixing together a hydraulically settable binder, at least one aggregate material, and water under sufficient shear to create a substantially homogeneous hydraulically settable mixture that is initially granular and substantially noncohesive;
• extruding the hydraulically settable mixture under a pressure sufficient to cause the initially granular and substantially noncohesive hydraulically settable mixture to become cohesive and flow through a die to form an extruded article of manufacture of a desired shape that is form-stable immediately upon being extruded through the die, the extruded article including a wall having a thickness and configured to define a cavity having a size, the wall thickness to cavity size ratio of the hydraulically settable matrix being less than about 0.25:1;
• and
• allowing the extruded article of manufacture to cure to form the hydraulically settable matrix of the article.

An article of manufacture having a hydraulically settable matrix, the article formed by the process comprising the steps of:

• combining a hydraulically settable binder, at least one aggregate material, and water to form a hydraulically settable mixture that is initially granular and substantially noncohesive;
• extruding the hydraulically settable mixture under a pressure sufficient to cause the initially granular and substantially noncohesive mixture to become cohesive and flow through a die to form an extruded article of manufacture of a desired shape that is form-stable immediately upon being extruded through the die;
• and
• allowing the extruded article of manufacture to cure to form the hydraulically settable matrix of the article, wherein the cured hydraulically settable matrix having a configuration such that the article of manufacture has a bulk density less than about 1.5 g/cm.sup.3.

An article of manufacture having a hydraulically settable matrix, the article formed by the process comprising the steps of:

• mixing a hydraulically settable binder, at least one aggregate material, and water under sufficient shear to create a substantially homogeneous hydraulically settable mixture that is initially granular and substantially noncohesive;
• extruding the hydraulically settable mixture under a pressure sufficient to cause the initially granular and substantially noncohesive mixture to become cohesive and flow through a die to form an extruded article of manufacture of a desired shape that is form-stable immediately upon being extruded through the die;
• and
• allowing the extruded article of manufacture to cure to form the hydraulically settable matrix of the article, wherein the cured hydraulically settable matrix of the article of manufacture has a tensile strength greater than about 15 MPa.

An article of manufacture having a hydraulically settable matrix, the article formed by the process comprising the steps of:

• combining a hydraulically settable binder, at least one aggregate material, and water to form a hydraulically settable mixture that is initially granular and substantially noncohesive, only a portion of the water being available to interact with the hydraulically settable binder, the hydraulically settable binder and the portion of the water being available to interact with the hydraulically settable binder together forming a hydraulic paste having a water to hydraulically settable binder ratio less than about 0.27:1;
• extruding the hydraulically settable mixture under a pressure sufficient to cause the initially granular and substantially noncohesive mixture to become cohesive and flow through a die to form an extruded article of manufacture of a desired shape that is form-stable immediately upon being extruded through the die;
• and
• allowing the extruded article of manufacture to cure to form the hydraulically settable matrix, the hydraulically settable matrix having a tensile strength greater than about 15 MPa.

An article of manufacture having a hydraulically settable matrix, the article formed by the process comprising the steps of:

• combining a hydraulically settable binder, at least one aggregate, and water to form a hydraulically settable mixture having an initial particle packing density of combined hydraulically settable binder and aggregate particles and an initial net deficiency of water such that the mixture is initially granular and substantially noncohesive;
• extruding the hydraulically settable mixture under an extrusion pressure sufficient to increase the initial particle packing density, thereby decreasing the initial net deficiency of water of the hydraulically settable mixture such that the hydraulically settable mixture becomes substantially cohesive and is caused to flow through a die to form an article of manufacture of a desired shape that is immediately form stable upon being extruded through the die;
• and
• allowing the extruded article of manufacture to cure to form the hydraulically settable matrix of the article.