PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF CALCIUM SILICATE-CONTAINING STONE BLANKS USEFUL IN CONSTRUCTING BUILDING WALLS

摘要

A process and apparatus is provided for the production of calcium silicate-containing stone blanks which are useful in constructing building walls. A crude mixture, of a granulated silicate-containing material, lime, water, a cement and a foaming agent, is subjected to no more than a minimum application of external pressure and is subsequently hardened in an autoclave. The cement produces the necessary strength for the blank, so that the latter becomes trans-portable while the final strength is achieved by reaction of the silicate-con-taining material during the autoclave treatment. In order to arrive at acceptable molding times and in order to achieve a simplified process with slight fragment bulk density and optimal heat damping characteristics, the crude mixture is rendered pourable, is filled into molds in a quantity corresponding to the fragment volume of the stone blank, and the crude mixture in the mold is heated essentially uniformly to a temperature between 45.degree.C and 90.degree.C until achieving the desired blank-strength. The production of the blanks is carried out in molds, which are equipped with a heating system for heating the crude mixture in the molds, whereby the heating takes place by means of an electric high frequency field and/or indirectly via the molds and possibly via mold spikes, which are individually heatable and serve for the development of a pattern of holes in the stone.