ALEXANDRIA, Va., Sept. 23 -- United States Patent no. 12,421,173, issued on Sept. 23, was assigned to ZYP Coatings Inc. (Oak Ridge, Tenn.).
"Refractory foam" was invented by Cressie E. Holcombe Jr. (Knoxville, Tenn.), Patrick J. Ritt (Knoxville, Tenn.) and William Brent Webb (Oak Ridge, Tenn.).
According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A porous refractory in the K2O-SiO2-B2O3 system is formed by chemical direct foaming by heating to over 600deg C., resulting in adherent black or white foam. The foam can function as highly porous thermal insulation, a high or low thermal emissivity surface, as a sealant for deteriorated refractory surfaces, as a filler for pockmarks/holes/gaps or as a bonding agent for par...