Wallboards, as well as cement boards, are produced by methods which use
significantly reduced Embodied Energy when compared with the energy used
to fabricate gypsum wallboard. A novel binder, consisting in one
embodiment of phosphoric acid and calcium silicate, and combined with
various fillers, is used to provide a controlled exothermic reaction to
create a gypsum-board-like core which can be wrapped in a selected
material such as recycled paper and manufactured on a conveyor system to
appear and handle like gypsum wallboard, but without the large amounts of
energy required to make gypsum wallboard. The resulting product may be
used in interior or exterior applications and may possess fire
resistance, sound ratings and other important properties of gypsum
wallboard. As energy costs increase, the novel wallboards of this
invention can become less expensive to manufacture than traditional
wallboard. The manufacturing process results in much lower greenhouse gas
emissions than the processes used to make gypsum wallboard.