Abstract: A method for melting and refining glass, such as E glass, comprises feeding glass batch materials into a melting and refining tank for melting and refining the glass batch materials into glass and a forehearth, downstream of the tank, for further refining the glass and delivering the glass to fiberizing means. The melting and refining tank is heated with oxygen fired burners. The oxygen fired burners in the melting and refining tank are located in the sidewalls at the upstream end of the tank and extend for about one-third, one-half or two-thirds the length of the tank. In one embodiment, burners are also located in the upstream end wall. This arrangement of the oxygen fired burners at the upstream end of the melting and refining tank moves the melter hot spot upstream for better refining of the glass and enables the furnace to produce a higher output of glass than can be obtained in a conventional E glass furnace of the same size.

Abstract: An air filtration media is formed of a blanket of fibers, preferably glass fibers, bonded together at their points of intersection with a binder. The blanket has a weight between about 2.5 and about 4.0 grams per square foot and the average diameter of the fibers in the blanket is within a range from 3.0 .times.10.sup.-5 to 4.1.times.10.sup.-5 inches. The blanket has an average air filtration efficiency of at least 80% and the pressure drop across the thickness of the blanket is no greater than 0.30 inches of water. The blanket can be used alone; with a permeable backing sheet; or with a second layer or blanket of filtration media, as part of a dual-phase or multi-phase air filtration media.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a glass fiber binding composition having an effective binding amount of an aqueous compatible furan resin mixed with sufficient water to result in a binding composition having from 0.5 to 80% nonvolatile. The aqueous compatible furan resin is the reaction product of a source of ammonia and a first reaction product, the first reaction product being derived from the reaction of an acidic furan resin, a source of reactable formaldehyde, and a formaldehyde scavenger. The invention further pertains to a process of binding glass fibers at junctions of the fibers comprising the steps of providing glass fibers, applying an effect binding amount of the binding composition of the invention to the glass fibers such that the binder is present at a portion of the junctions, and curing the resin at the junctions of the glass fibers.

Abstract: A low density, high temperature resistant insulation material that is very thermally efficient, is easily moldable and is unaffected by water. The insulation material is especially suitable for use in aviation, aerospace and automotive applications. The insulation material contains inorganic fiber; inorganic binder; hydrophilic particulate inorganic material; hydrophobic particulate inorganic material; polymer; and preferably a setting agent and an opacifier.

Abstract: A fibrous, non-woven thermal insulation comprises synthetic polymeric resin microfibers, staple fibers and bonding fibers which are randomly oriented and randomly intermingled in a single layer. The microfibers comprise between 0% and 95% by weight virgin synthetic polymeric resin and between 5% and 100% by weight recycled polyethylene teraphthalate. In one embodiment the microfibers have an average diameter between 1 to 10 microns and comprise between 5% and 80% by weight of the insulation; the staple fibers have an average diameter between 10 and 30 microns and comprise between 5% and 90% by weight of the insulation; and the bonding fibers have an average diameter between 0.9 and 15 denier and comprise between 5% and 95% by weight of the insulation. The bonding fibers have thermoplastic surfaces with a lower temperature softening point than the microfibers and staple fibers and bond the fibers together to form the insulation material.

Abstract: A duct insulation board grooving apparatus cuts a plurality of parallel grooves into duct boards with a plurality of rotary saw blades which are spaced on 1.57 inch or 3.14 inch centers. The saw blades have peripheral teeth which project outwardly on both sides of the saw blades to form grooves in a first major surface of a duct board which are wider than the saw blades. The grooves have sidewalls which extend perpendicular to the first major surface of the duct board and have a depth from 70% to 90% of the thickness of the duct board. The first major surface is typically coated and a second major surface of the duct board normally has a facing adhered thereto. After the duct board is grooved, the duct board can be curved to conform to the curvature of a tubular metal shell, with the parallel grooves of the duct board extending parallel to the axis of curvature, and placed in the tubular metal shell as a liner to form an insulated air duct.

Abstract: A process for preparing binder-coated fiber-glass products employs as a binder aqueous polymer systems comprising a nitrogenous formaldehyde resin such as a urea-extended alkaline phenol/formaldehyde resole together with an acidic polyacrylate which cocure to form a thermoset polymer while synergistically reducing ammonia emissions which normally occur during cure of the nitrogenous formaldehyde resin. The polymer system may be used in applications other than fiberglass where reduced emissions are desired.

Abstract: The bottoms of exhaust stacks and systems on glass melting furnaces usually collect slag that is produced by volatiles in the exhaust gases condensing out and forming a glassy substance on the cooler walls of the stacks, etc. which then runs down the walls picking up refractory and forming a slag in the lowest places. This slag often cools to hardness or a high viscosity, tough mass. It has to be removed periodically to prevent building up to the point that slag would run back into the furnace damaging the glass and removal is a hot, dirty, time consuming job. This problem is worse on oxy-fuel furnaces which the industry is trending towards for other advantages. The present invention eliminates this problem by reducing the size of the reservoir in the bottom of the stack and adding a heated bushing with an orifice that continually drains the slag from the small reservoir.

Abstract: An oxygen-fuel firing system for a furnace comprising separate, spread apart nozzles for introducing gaseous streams of oxygen and fuel into the furnace at spaced apart locations. The gaseous streams merge within the furnace away from the furnace walls and crown. Thus, the main combustion within the furnace takes place in the central portion of the furnace where a broad flame cloud is created. The broad flame cloud provides a more uniform temperature profile within the furnace for a more efficient processing of materials being melted in the furnace.

Abstract: In a method of and an apparatus for forming composite and other fibers, individual filaments from two or more sets of continuous primary filaments of two or more heat-softenable fiberizable materials are brought together lengthwise to form pairs of continuous primary filaments. The groupings of continuous primary filaments are fed into a high energy attenuation blast where the filaments are heated, attenuated and formed into composite or other staple fibers of the heat-softenable fiberizable materials. Preferably, the individual continuous primary filaments of the groupings of continuous primary filaments are fused, adhesively bonded or otherwise joined together, prior to being introduced into the high energy attenuation blast, to prevent the individual primary filaments of the groupings of continuous primary filaments from separating in the high energy attenuation blast.

Abstract: Air filtration media is formed by collecting a layer of fine diameter glass fibers directly on a foraminous, reinforcing, backing layer and subsequently collecting a layer of relatively coarse diameter glass fibers directly on the layer of fine diameter glass fibers. A bonding agent carried by the glass fibers is then cured to bond the glass fibers within each layer together at their points of intersection, to bond the layers of fine and coarse glass fibers together and to bond the layer of fine diameter fibers to the backing layer. This method of forming the composite air filtration media permits the particle efficiency and the dirt loading capacity of the composite air filtration media to be adjusted during the production of the media by adjusting the diameters of the glass fibers in one or both of the layers and/or by adjusting the density of one or both of the layers.

Abstract: Disclosed is an improved device and method for detecting fiber breakouts and fiber restarts in processes or systems for making fibers from a molten thermoplastic material. In these processes the running fibers induce ambient air into the array of hot fibers close to the nozzles where the fibers are formed, but this air flow essentially ceases when the fiber breaks out. A thermocouple junction located in the path of this airflow will sense temperature changes caused by fiber breakouts and fiber starts. The present invention simplifies and increases the accuracy of prior art sensor systems by eliminating hardware holding this thermocouple and instead uses one or more small holes in a bushing frame plus the refractory used to hold the fiberizing bushing in the frame to hold the thermocouple in the appropriate place.

Abstract: Described is an aqueous sprayable glass fiber binding composition comprising: a) an aqueous compatible formaldehyde thermosetting coating composition; and b) a compatible aqueous latex elastomeric composition. Also described are binder compositions that decrease fallout of glass fiber and binder from the coated glass fiber. Also disclosed is a glass fiber binder composition having low odor content.

Abstract: An insulation panel is formed comprising a binderless, heat bonded glass fiber insulation board encapsulated within a partially evacuated, gas-tight envelope. The insulation board is formed by laying down discrete length glass fibers into a thin glass fiber mat with the glass fibers lying predominately in and randomly oriented in planes extending substantially parallel to the major surfaces of the thin glass fiber mat. The thin glass fiber mat is layered to form an uncompressed thick glass fiber blanket. The thick glass fiber blanket is heated to a temperature between about 25.degree. C. below and about 20.degree. C. above the strain temperature of the glass fibers; compressed to its final thickness and density; and cooled to form the binderless, heat bonded glass fiber insulation board having glass fibers lying predominately in planes which extend parallel to the major surfaces of the insulation board. The insulation board is encapsulated within the gas-tight envelope to form the insulation panel.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a glass fiber binding composition comprising an effective binding amount of an aqueous soluble furan resin, 15 to 99 percent by weight water, and an effective amount of a catalyst for curing the furan resin. The invention further pertains to a process of binding glass fibers at junctions of the fibers comprising the steps of providing newly formed glass fibers, applying an effect binding amount of an aqueous soluble furan resin to the junctions of the glass fibers, and curing the resin at the junctions of the glass fibers. Finally, the invention also discloses a glass fiber composition comprising a plurality of glass fibers having a plurality of junctions where two or more fibers meet, and an effective binding amount of an aqueous soluble furan resin comprising 15 to 99% water applied to the junctions of the glass fibers.

Abstract: A fiber glass air filtration media includes a blanket of glass fibers with about 25% to 35% by weight of the glass fibers being fine glass fibers having an average diameter of less than 3.5 microns and about 65% to 75% by weight of the glass fibers being coarse glass fibers having an average diameter of more than 3.5 microns. The fine and coarse glass fibers are randomly intermingled throughout the blanket. The blanket is formed by producing the fine glass fibers on a first set of fiber generators and the coarse glass fibers on a second set of fiber generators. The fiber generators are laterally aligned across the width of and direct gaseous streams of the glass fibers at a moving collection surface where the blanket is formed. The fiber generators of the first set alternate with the fiber generators of the second set and the glass fibers produced by the two sets of fiber generators are mixed together before being deposited on the collection surface.

Abstract: Glass microfibers having diameters of less than one micron are useful in engineered plastics to achieve very smooth surfaces and thermal stability in composite parts. As made, glass microfibers are very bulky and intertwined making it impossible to meter and feed the material using conventional equipment. The processes used for chopping and milling coarser glass fibers to prepare them for engineered plastic composites are unsatisfactory for glass microfibers for various reasons. It has been discovered that flowable glass microfiber agglomerate products can be made by processing the microfiber in a muller mill or in a self impact mill.

Abstract: Fiberglass binder solutions based on phenol/formaldehyde resins emit lower formaldehyde emissions when a water soluble bisulfite formaldehyde scavenger is added to the binder prior to spraying onto fiberglass. Sodium bisulfite and ammonium bisulfite in amounts of from 4 to 6 percent based on binder solids can reduce formaldehyde emissions by c.a. 50 percent. The fiberglass products prepared from the binders exhibit no significant loss of physical properties as compared to conventional binders.

Abstract: A glass fiber duct board has longitudinally extending, spaced-apart grooves in a major surface that facilitate the folding of the duct board into an air duct. The major surface, including the grooves, is coated with a polymeric latex coating to encapsulate glass fibers and dust within the surface of the duct board. The polymeric latex coating is applied to the surfaces of the grooves as a foam by application nozzles located downstream of groove cutting tools. The polymeric latex coating applied by the nozzles is distributed over the surfaces of the grooves and set to a predetermined thickness by wiper blades, located downstream of the nozzles, which have edge configurations complementary to the transverse configurations of the grooves being coated.

Abstract: A method has been developed for converting a hot, operating furnace to oxy-fuel avoiding the problems of the past. This method comprises removing an old burner from the furnace, drilling a cylindrical hole, with its axis generally aligning with the axis of the opening in the old burner block, through the old burner block, removing the cut out portion, inserting a refractory tube in the new hole, and fastening an oxy-fuel burner onto the furnace to join in a sealing and or biased relationship with the outside end of said tube.