Abstract: An aqueous binder composition for mineral fibers comprises: (a) a sugar syrup containing a reducing sugar and having a dextrose equivalent DE of at least 50 and less than 85; (b) a polycarboxylic acid component; (c) an amine component; and, optionally, (d) a reaction product of a polycarboxylic acid component (b) and an amine component (c).

Abstract: A non-woven product having a core layer (32) containing dense particulate additive between adjacent layers (33) which are substantially free of additive is made by fiberizing a mineral melt on a spinner (1) comprising at least one fiberizing rotor (2, 3, 4) mounted for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis, and the resultant fibres are collected in air streams (5) as a cloud of fibres which travels towards a travelling collector (11) on which a web (14) is formed and carried out of the spinning chamber (9). Dense particles such as magnesium hydroxide are ejected from a suitable ejector (15) on to a baffle (16) by which they are deflected across the width of the chamber and lengthwise over the length of a intermediate collecting zone (B) to form the core layer (32) while the initial and final collecting zone (A and C) are substantially free of the dense particulate additive.

Abstract: A flexible heat insulation product (1) comprising a flexible heat insulating core layer (4) with a first side (3) and a second side (9), and a flexible facing (2) that is connected to the first side (3) of the insulating core layer (4) by a plurality of elements (7) that extends from the facing (2) to the second side (9) of the insulating core layer (4). The insulation product (1) further comprises a flexible heat insulating cover layer (8) that is secured to the second side (9) of the insulating core layer (4). A method for producing such a product is also disclosed.

Abstract: Disclosed is an aqueous binder composition for mineral fibers that comprises a water-soluble binder component produced by reacting, in one or more steps, at least one alkanolamine, at least one carboxylic anhydride and at least one polyalkylene glycol component selected from polyalkylene glycols, copolymers and derivates thereof and, optionally, treating the reaction product with a base.

Abstract: A process for making a mineral melt comprising: providing a circulating combustion chamber which contains circulating chamber gases, injecting a stream of particulate fuel into the combustion chamber through a fuel feed pipe, injecting combustion gas into the combustion chamber; mixing the stream of particulate fuel with the combustion gas and with the circulating chamber gases by injecting into the combustion chamber secondary gas, through a secondary gas inlet, wherein the secondary gas is injected adjacent to the stream of particulate fuel and the injection speed of the secondary gas is at least 100 m/s greater than the injection speed of the particulate fuel; suspending particulate mineral material in the circulating chamber gases and combusting the fuel, thereby melting the particulate mineral material and forming a mineral melt and hot exhaust gases; and separating the hot exhaust gases from the melt and collecting the melt.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of growing at least three plants simultaneously in mineral wool growth substrate, the method comprises positioning the plants for growth in mineral wool growth substrate so that the roots of each plant are positioned in a growth region, and irrigating the plants with irrigation water over a period of at least three days, wherein during the irrigation period at least one water content parameter as measured in the growth regions surrounding the plant roots varies over the set of all growth regions by not more than 45%, and wherein the growth substrate comprises binder and wetting agent, the wetting agent comprising ionic surfactant.

Abstract: The present invention concerns an insulation building system comprising an assembly having at least one frame profile, a plurality of joining profiles and insulation panels, wherein the insulation panels are retained between the joining profiles.

Abstract: The present invention concerns an insulation panel for fitting between profiles in a framework of an insulating building system for an external building structure, such as a wall or a roof, or an internal building structure, such as a partitioning wall or a ceiling or floor structure, said panel comprising substantially parallel first and second main surfaces with substantially parallel, oppositely situated first and second profile contact sides and substantially parallel, oppositely situated third and fourth sides between said main surfaces. In addition, the invention concerns a method of producing insulation panels and an apparatus for producing insulation panels according to the method.

Abstract: A sound-absorbing structure is provided which comprises a plurality of sound-absorbing tiles or other elements fitted in position, filler cast between the elements so as to provide a substantially flat surface with the elements, and a monolithic rendering which is porous but extends over the substantially flat surface and provides a very smooth surface without significantly reducing the sound-absorbing properties of the elements.

Abstract: An apparatus for making a substantially air-tight foil package for mineral wool that includes a mechanical compressing device for compressing the mineral wool in a first direction to bring about a dimensional reduction thereof. A wrapping device encloses the mineral wool with a web of a substantially air-tight foil. An evacuating station is arranged downstream of the compressing device and it includes an evacuating device for evacuating air from the mineral wool compressed by the compressing device and enclosed by the foil. The evacuating station includes opposed surfaces for maintaining the dimensional reduction during transfer to the evacuating means of the foil enclosed mineral wool compressed by the compressing device. The opposed surfaces maintain the dimensional reduction during evacuation by the evacuating device.

Abstract: Acoustic element (1) has a flat, sound-receiving, front face (2) which extends in the XY plane and has a good sound-absorption coefficient, and the element is formed of a bonded batt of air laid mineral fibres having a density of 70 to 200 kg/m3 wherein the fibres extend from the front face (2) and at least through the front half of the thickness of the batt have a Z direction component greater than the Z direction component of conventional air laid products, and the front face of the batt is a cut and abraded face. The element can be made by air laying mineral fibres and binder, reorienting the fibres to provide an increased fibre orientation in the Z direction, curing the binder to form a cured batt and cutting the cured batt in the XY plane into two cut batts and smoothing each cut surface by abrasion to produce a flat face on each cut batt.

Abstract: An acoustic panel (1) has a recess (8) extending part or all way down to a facing (7). A panel loudspeaker (11) may be fixed in the recess or a water sprinkler (14) or other device may be mounted in or above the recess.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a substructure for aligning a building cover structure for an insulated wall (1), wherein said wall (1) is provided with a layer of insulation material (2), which is mounted to the wall (1) by a plurality of elongated insulation mounting members (3) and cover support profiles (4), which are mounted on the mounting members (2), comprises adjustment means for adjusting the distance between the mounting members (3) and the cover support profiles (4), wherein said adjustment means comprises two or more assembly brackets (5) mounted on at least one side of the cover support profile (4), and wherein each assembly bracket (5) comprises a cover support profile receiving first end (5A) and a distal second end (5B) adapted for penetration into the insulation material (2) on one or both sides of the insulation mounting member (3) and that the bracket is provided with apertures (11, 12) between said first and second ends (5A, 5B) receiving associated fasteners for securing the assembly brac

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of making mineral fibres, comprising providing a circulating combustion chamber (1) which comprises a top section (2), a bottom section (3) and a base section (4), injecting primary fuel, particulate mineral material and primary combustion gas into the top section of the circulating combustion chamber and combusting the primary fuel thereby melting the particulate material to form a mineral melt and generating exhaust gases, separating the mineral melt from the exhaust gases wherein the exhaust gases pass through an outlet (8) in the circulating combustion chamber and the mineral melt collects in the base section of the circulating combustion chamber, injecting secondary fuel, which comprises liquid or gaseous fuel, and secondary combustion gas into the bottom section of the circulating combustion chamber to form a flame in the bottom section which heats the melt, and flowing a stream of the collected melt through an outlet (15) in the base section to a centrifugal fi

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the production of mineral fibers and to an apparatus which can be used in such a process. In particular, the process of the present invention comprises: providing a furnace; charging to the furnace mineral materials which comprise iron oxides; melting the charged mineral materials in a reducing atmosphere, such that there is a base zone in the furnace in which molten iron collects, and a melt pool above the base zone where mineral melt collects; removing mineral melt from the furnace and converting it to mineral fibers; and removing molten iron from the base zone. During the process, an additive is released directly into the base zone of the furnace wherein the additive comprises one or more substances selected from oxidizing agents and non-reducing gases.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of making a mineral melt comprising providing a circulating combustion chamber (1) which comprises an upper zone (2), a lower zone (3) and a base zone (4), injecting particulate fuel, particulate mineral material and primary combustion gas which has optionally an oxygen level of at least 25% by volume into the upper zone of the circulating combustion chamber so that the fuel undergoes pyrolysis in the upper zone to produce char, thereby melting the particulate mineral materials to form a mineral melt and generating exhaust gases, injecting secondary combustion gas which has optionally an Oxygen level of at least 25% by volume into the lower zone of the circulating combustion chamber so that the char combusts, thereby completing combustion of the fuel, and separating the mineral melt from the hot exhaust gases so that the hot exhaust gases pass though an outlet in the circulating combustion chamber and the mineral melt collects in the base zone.

Abstract: The properties of mineral fibres comprising silicon, magnesium, calcium, iron, aluminium and oxygen atoms are improved by exposure to a heat treatment under oxidising conditions which causes migration of MgO, thereby creating an outer layer with increased concentrations of MgO. Batts and other fibrous products containing the fibres have increased resistance to shrinkage and sintering.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of growing at least one plant (1), preferably a large number of plants, in which a plant is positioned for growth in a first growth substrate (2) which has a first water uptake capacity and a first sinking time S1, and the first growth substrate (2) is in fluid communication with a discrete second substrate (4) is mineral wool of density 40 to 100 kg/m2 and which has a second water uptake capacity which is less than the first water uptake capacity and a second sinking time S2 and the value of S1 is greater than the value of S2, and during growth the second substrate is flooded with water at intervals. Preferably growth is under conditions of drought stress and/or nutrient stress. The invention also provides a plant growth environment such as a filled pot (3) comprising the first and second substrates in fluid 20 communication.

Abstract: An aqueous binder composition for mineral fibers comprises: —a water-soluble binder component obtainable by reacting at least one alkanolamine with at least one carboxylic anhydride and, optionally, treating the reaction product with a base; and —at least one hydrolytic stability-improving agent selected from monoalkanolamines; allylamines; peroxy compounds; epoxy compounds; compounds having at least one long-chain aliphatic moiety and at least one functional group; and SBR latices.

Abstract: An acoustic panel (1) has a recess (8) extending part or all way down to a facing (7). A panel loudspeaker (11) may be fixed in the recess or a water sprinkler (14) or other device may be mounted in or above the recess.