Fiber glass binder compositions with reduced dusting

Details Fiber glass binder compositions with reduced dusting Fiber glass binder compositions with reduced dusting

2000-08-10

2003-07-15

Yoon, Tae H. (Department: 1714)

Synthetic resins or natural rubbers -- part of the class 520 ser

Synthetic resins

At least one aryl ring which is part of a fused or bridged...

C524S320000, C524S386000, C523S217000, C427S389800

Reexamination Certificate

active

06593420

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an improved fiber glass composition. More particularly the invention is directed to a fiber glass composition including an improved resin binder having enhanced flexibility and reduced dusting.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Fiber glass compositions find significant use as acoustical or thermal insulation in a wide variety of commercial applications. Generally fiber glass compositions are prepared by applying a resin binder composition including a resole (phenol-formaldehyde) resin and a catalyst to glass fibers; the binder-coated glass fibers are collected in the form of a non-woven fiber glass blanket. The fiber glass blanket is thereafter compressed and heated to cure the binder composition either in an oven (“line cure”) to form batts, or in a mold to form compressed mats or other shaped fiber glass articles. During the heating step, the resin binder composition dispersed on the glass fibers polymerizes to form a cured resin solid that binds the glass fibers where they overlap to impart strength and resiliency to the fiber glass product. Fiber glass products formed using thermally cured resin binders thus retain their shape due to resin crosslinking of the component fiber glass particles.
Fiber glass batts, mats, and other shaped fiber glass products are often combined with other construction materials to form insulated products. If the cured binder resin does not exhibit some threshold flexibility, the fiber glass product can readily lose structural integrity as a result of handling and manipulation in the manufacture and installation of insulated products. Additionally, glass fiber dust can be generated during the handling and manipulation of the fiber glass product and during the useful life span of the final product, as the fiber glass product cracks and disintegrates under applied stress.
There have been significant research and development efforts directed to improving resin binder compositions useful in the manufacture of fiber glass articles. The present invention is based on the development and use of novel catalyzed resole resin binder compositions which exhibit increased stress tolerance (flexibility) and concomitantly less friability and dusting without substantial compromise of physical strength characteristics.
The improved resin binder composition in accordance with this invention includes an aqueous solution comprising a resole resin, catalyst, and a flexibilizer. The compositions include about 60% to about 90% by weight water and about 10% to about 40% by weight binder solids. The flexibilizer component(s) have polyhydric-functional and/or acid-functionality and typically form about 20 to about 50 percent per weight of the binder solids. The solid component of the binder composition optionally, but preferably, includes, an —NH
2
functional resole reactive compound selected from the group consisting of urea, melamine, dicyandiamide, and methylol and C
1
-C
4
alkoxymethyl derivatives thereof. The resin binder composition when used in the manufacture of thermally cured fiber glass compositions is characterized by improved flexibility and reduced dusting without substantial compromise of physical strength characteristics. The chemical/mechanical properties of the improved resin binder composition allow preparation of fiber glass compositions exhibiting advantages in many applications.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the resin binder composition comprises an aqueous solution of resin solids comprising a resole resin, a catalyst, and both polyhydric-functional and acid-functional flexibilizers. The resin solids comprise about 45 to 65 percent weight of the resin binder composition, while the flexibilizers comprise about 10 to about 25 percent by weight of solids each. The preferred acid-functional flexibilizers are water dispersible oils. Examples of water dispersible oils include maleinized unsaturated oils such as linseed-tung oil or soybean oils, sulfonated oils such as sulfonated fish oil or lard oil, and sulfited oils such as bisulfited herring oil. Polyhydric flexibilizers are polyhydric alcohols, including di-, tri-, tetra-, and pentahydric alcohols having a molecular weight of less than 10,000, more preferably less than 5000, for example, Pentek (C(CH
2
OH)
4
), trimethylol propane, propoxylated trimethylolpropane, and propoxylated pentaerythritol.
In another embodiment, the flexibilizer consists essentially of one or more polyhydric-functional compounds forming about 30 to 45 percent of the weight of the resin solids. In still another embodiment, the flexibilizer component consists essentially of one or more acid-functional water dispersible oils forming about 15 to 35 percent of the resin solids.
Still another embodiment of the present invention is a process for preparing a fiber glass blanket characterized by improved flexibility and reduced dusting. The method comprises the steps of forming an improved aqueous resin binder composition comprising a resole resin, a catalyst, and a flexibilizer in a total amount of 15 to 45% of the resin solids, coating glass fibers with said improved resin binder compositions, collecting the coated glass fibers to provide the fiber glass composition in the form of a non-woven mat containing up to about 25% by weight of the resin binder composition on a solids basis, and drying the mat to a water content of less than 8% by weight. The process can further include the step of compressing the fiber glass blanket for storage and/or molding and curing the blanket for final use.
The solids of the present binder compositions also include a catalyst, and optionally may include an —NH
2
functional resole reactive compound, a silane in an amount effective to decrease resin hydrophilicity, and/or a surfactant to aid in solubilizing intermediates and maintaining the binder as a homogenous solution.
Additional features of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to improved fiber glass compositions and to methods of preparation of such compositions using an improved resin binder composition, including a resole resin, a catalyst, and a polyhydric-functional and/or acid-functional flexibilizer. The composition may also include one or more resin binder modifiers, preferably urea, but other amines, such as melamine, and dicyandiamide, and methylol and C
1
-C
4
alkoxymethyl derivatives thereof may be suitable. The acid-functional flexibilizers include water dispersible oils, such as maleinized, sulfonated oils, and sulfited oils while the polyhydric-functional flexibilizers include di-, tri-, tetra-, and penta-hydric alcohols having a molecular weight of less than 10,000, more preferably less than 5000. In preferred embodiments the catalyst for the resin binder composition consists of an anmmonium toluene sulfonic acid (“TSA”) solution, but other catalysts are known and may be used in accordance with this invention. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,243,015 hereby incorporated by reference. It has been found that the use of flexibilizers, as taught in this invention, are useful in the manufacture of flexible fiber glass compositions.
Generally in the manufacture of the present fiber glass compositions an aqueous resin binder composition having about 10% to about 40%, more typically about 12% to about 35% solids is applied to hot glass fibers which are collected in the form of a non-woven blanket. The blanket is typically compressed and heat-cured either in a line oven or in a heated compression mold; or it is rolled and stored for later heat-cure processing. The amount of resin binder composition used in the manufacture of the fiber glass blankets depends significantly on the intended use of the fiber glass product. Thus the binder can constitute about 3% up to about 25% by weight on a solids basi

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