Abstract: A starved electrolyte battery utilizes resilient fibrous mat electrode plate separators. The resilient electrode plate separators extend beyond the peripheral edges of the electrode plates in the plate stack(s) of the battery and a) encapsulate, at least the major surfaces and certain portions, preferably all, of the electrode plate edges, and b) form electrolyte reservoirs within the battery external of the plate stack(s). Preferably, the resilient fibrous mat separators are made of microfibers and may be essentially uniform in density throughout their thicknesses or may include one or two relatively high density, high tensile strength fibrous surface layer(s) and a relatively low density, more resilient fibrous layer integral with and, in one embodiment, intermediate the two surface layers.

Abstract: A chopper for chopping fibers or fiber strands having a back up roll and a blade roll containing blades that work against a peripheral surface of the back up roll and a method of using is disclosed. The chopper has a number of improved features for reducing the frequency of long fibers or long fiber strands and fuzz from getting into the chopped product. The chopper can have one or any combination of the improvements. The improvements include a strand guide located at least two feet up stream of the chopper, a first starting roll for starting a new strand that runs on a fluid bearing that can be adjusted to control the RPM of the first starting roll, a mount for a roll that runs against the peripheral surface of said back up roll, a strand guide insert for reducing fuzz generation and for preventing fuzz from getting into the product, and a deflector plate for catching and deflecting chopped strands thrown off the back up roll into a chopped strand product chute.

Abstract: An encapsulated insulation composite system for increasing the burn through resistance of an aircraft fuselage includes: an insulation layer of glass fiber or foam insulation and a coating or interleaf barrier layer of a high temperature resistant material and/or a coating or barrier layer of a high temperature resistant material on an outer major surface of the insulation layer of the composite and a film encapsulating the composite. Preferably, the barrier layer or layers include a reflective mineral, such as a reflective mineral containing coating carried on a sheet material. Preferably, the encapsulating film is a polymeric film such as a polyimide film.

Abstract: A burn through resistant nonwoven mat and cover film composite for use in a thermal and/or acoustical insulation blanket system, are, preferably, made up of non-respirable and/or biosoluble base fibers and capable of retaining their integrity and dimensional stability during 4 minutes of exposure to a fluctuating high pressure flame front at a temperature of 1100° C. examples of non-respirable base fibers which make up the nonwoven mat are quartz fibers; aluminosilicate, aluminoborosilicate or alumina ceramic oxide fibers; partially oxidized pitch based fibers; and partially oxidized polyacrylonitrile fibers having mean diameters greater than 6 microns. Examples of biosoluble fibers are biosoluble glass fibers. Preferably, the nonwoven mats also include a lubricant sizing with a water repellent additive.

Abstract: A fiber glass mat containing a novolac resin having an acid solubility of at least about 35 wt. percent is especially useful for bonding to a light weight fibrous or foam web or board, such as a polymer fiber web. A method of making the mat by wet laying a slurry containing the fiber and the novolac resin particles and then further adding an aqueous solution or slurry containing a crosslinking agent for the novolac resin and a laminate containing the fiber glass mat are disclosed.

Abstract: A sized staple fiber product that disperses quickly, thoroughly and uniformly in water is particularly useful in the manufacture of gypsum board by the slurry process. An aqueous chemical size composition on the surface of the fibers contains a high level of surfactant and can contain a polymer film former and a biocide. Preferably, the fiber is chopped glass fiber. Novel sizing composition and methods of making and using the fiber are also disclosed.

Abstract: An easy-opening insulation package for containing a stack of resilient insulation batts, such as but not limited to glass fiber insulation batts, is formed from a sheet material. The sheet material completely encircles the batts and has a stress riser that extends longitudinally with respect to the batts for the length of the batts. Preferably, the sheet material has at least one tear line, such as a perforated line, extending generally perpendicular to and crossing the stress riser for creating an opening in the package through the rupture of the sheet material by hand along the perforated line and for permitting the stress riser to be separated by hand from the opening created along the perforated line to gain access to the batts within the package. Preferably, the ends of the package are closed and the perforated line completely encircles the package to permit the package to be separated into two sections by rupturing the perforated line along its entire length.

Abstract: A fire resistant resilient insulation assembly, includes: a resilient insulation and a fire resistant polymeric film forming a tubular envelope surrounding the resilient insulation. The fire resistant polymeric film includes: 50 to 80 weight percent high density polymeric material; 5 to 45 weight percent linear low density polymeric material; 5 to 25 weight percent fire retardant concentrate (a halogen and a synergist in a polymeric carrier); 0 to 5 weight percent UV stabilizer; and 0 to 10 weight percent pigment. Preferably, the film is a two layer coextruded film with the outer layer being a predominately linear low density polymer that provides a good finish for printing and a relatively high coefficient of friction to improve the handling of the film during the encapsulation of the blanket. The inner layer is predominately high density polymer that provides the coextruded film with the impact strength and tear resistance required for processing and handling.

Abstract: A nonwoven fibrous mat containing non-cellulosic fibers such as glass fibers, mixtures of glass fibers and synthetic polymer fibers, ceramic fibers, mixtures of glass fibers and natural fibers and mixtures thereof bound together with a water soluble, formaldehyde free binder, the binder content of the mat being in the range of about less than about 4 weight percent of the dry mat is particularly useful in making wood or wood product laminates. The mat can also contain limited amounts of cellulosic fibers. The low binder content produces mat manufacturing efficiencies and advantages in the wood laminate.

Abstract: A resilient pre-cut fibrous insulation blanket includes first and second insulation blankets. The blankets each have a first major surface with one or more longitudinally extending cuts in the surface that are spaced inwardly from lateral edges of the surface and spaced apart from each other. The cuts only partially sever the blankets to form separable connectors in the blankets that join adjacent blanket sections formed by the cuts. The first major surfaces of the blankets are bonded to each other, with the cuts in the major surfaces of the blankets aligned longitudinally, to form a batt with longitudinally extending batt sections joined by the separable connectors in the blankets whereby the batt can be handled as a unit or one or more batt sections can be separated from the remainder of the batt by hand to form a batt of lesser width.

Abstract: A unitized package contains a stack of insulation containing packages. The unitized package is formed by a sheet of stretch wrap film that is spirally wrapped about the sides and at least partially overlays the upper and lower surfaces of the stack of insulation containing packages to hold the stack of packages together as a packaged unit. The unitized package has a band adjacent the base of the unitized package which forms a loop adjacent one side of the unitized package to which a pulling means can be secured to pull the unitized package over a horizontal surface, such as a warehouse floor or truck cargo bed, to facilitate moving the unitized package or unloading the unitized package from the truck.

Abstract: Using urea extended phenolic binders with a resin to urea solids ratio below 60/40 can significantly reduce production costs in the manufacture of fiberglass products without adversely affecting product performance or producing formaldehyde or ammonia emissions at unacceptable levels. The phenolic binders are produced by reacting urea with phenolic resins that are prepared in a reaction in which the formaldehyde and phenol are initially present in mole ratios of greater than 3.75:1. In preparing the phenol/formaldehyde based binder, the molar ratio of free formaldehyde to urea must be carefully controlled in order to minimize emissions of ammonia and formaldehyde. Typically this molar ratio is kept between 0.8 and 1.0, therefore, higher free formaldehyde resins may be reacted with a higher percentage of urea to maintain the target formaldehyde to urea molar ratio. No ammonia is needed in the making the phenolic binder.

Abstract: An elongated fibrous insulation blanket is pre-cut for custom fitting the insulation blanket into wall, floor, ceiling and roof cavities of different widths formed by the framework of a building. The blanket has one or more cuts extending for the length of the blanket which separate the blanket into two or more longitudinally extending sections. Adjacent sections of the blanket are joined together along the cut(s) by separable connectors which hold together the sections of the blanket for handling, but are separable by hand along the cut(s) so that the blanket can be handled as a unit for insulating a cavity having a predetermined width or easily separated by hand into two or more sections at a cut for insulating a cavity having a lesser width.

Abstract: Ducts are formed from rigid or semi-rigid insulation boards by forming a plurality of longitudinally extending, spaced apart, parallel kerfs in a first major surface of each of the insulation boards which is adapted to be the interior surface of the duct. When the insulation board is formed into a duct of the preselected dimensions, the shoulders of the kerfs adjoining the interior surface of the duct abut and, preferably, the insulation material in the shoulders of the kerfs is compressed. The flexibility of the insulation boards, in the direction of the widths of the insulation boards, is controlled by increasing the depths and/or the widths of the kerts and/or decreasing the spacing between the kerfs to make the insulation board more flexible and by decreasing the depths and/or the widths of the kerfs and/or increasing the spacing between the kerfs to make the insulation board less flexible.

Abstract: A fiberizing apparatus for converting molten material into continuous fibers having an improved internal support structure to minimize high temperature creep and sagging of the tip plate or orifice plate is disclosed. The preferred internal support structure is welded to the sidewalls and the top surface of the tip plate and is comprised of a plurality of internal intersecting supports that form a diamond shaped structure. A method of fiberizing a molten material using the fiberizing apparatus is also disclosed.

Abstract: A spinner disc for a rotary fiberization process, includes a base plate and an annular peripheral sidewall extending upward from the base plate which has a plurality of rows of fiberizing holes therein for fiberizing molten thermoplastic fiberizable materials by centrifugal force. The base plate has: a central bore therein on a rotational axis of the spinner disc for mounting the spinner disc on a drive shaft; an outer annular portion for receiving molten thermoplastic fiberizable materials to be fiberized; and an inner annular portion intermediate the central bore and, the outer annular base plate portion.

Abstract: An apparatus for receiving and automatically moving a moving strand of fibers from a starting position to any one of a plurality of predetermined positions in a multi-grooved separator roll is disclosed. This apparatus is particularly in processes of making continuous fiber products from molten material and replaces a manual operation that presented safety problems.

Abstract: Formwork for producing articles of concrete is described, comprising a supporting means, a latticed sheet-like structure attached fast to the supporting means and a nonwoven fabric attached to the latticed sheet-like structure by means of a suitable adhesive.

Abstract: Urea-extended phenol/formaldehyde alkaline resole binders suitable for fiberglass and having a high binding efficiency are disclosed. These binders are prepared by adding a minor quantity of melamine in an amount such that the binder solution contains no solid melamine particulates at room temperature. The resulting binders, when applied to fiberglass and cured, have a binding efficiency close to 100%, and further increase the recovery and physical properties of the binder-containing fiberglass product.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a low-flammability shingle comprising at least one double-sidedly bituminized textile sheet material to whose surface has been applied a pulverulent or flaky flame protectant at least single-sidedly, and to roofs comprising these shingles.