Abstract: The present invention is concerned with improved formaldehyde-scavenging formulations, and uses of same in veils and construction products including ceiling tiles, boards including insulation boards, particularly phenolic insulation boards, and panels and boards including wood panels and wood boards, together with methods for reduction of formaldehyde emissions from a construction product.

Abstract: A sizing composition including water, a film former, a silane coupling agent, and a weakly-coordinating anion salt is provided. The sizing composition may be applied to fibers used to reinforce polymer compositions. Fiber reinforced composite materials that include reinforcing fibers sized with the sizing composition exhibit improved physical properties, particularly after the fiber reinforced composite material has experience prolonged exposure to heat and water.

Abstract: A sizing composition including water, a film former, a silane coupling agent, and a weakly-coordinating anion salt is provided. The sizing composition may be applied to fibers used to reinforce polymer compositions. Fiber reinforced composite materials that include reinforcing fibers sized with the sizing composition exhibit improved physical properties, particularly after the fiber reinforced composite material has experience prolonged exposure to heat and water.

Abstract: A multi-compatible sizing composition that includes an epoxy resin emulsion, a silane coupling agent package, a non-ionic lubricant, and a crystalline polyol is provided. The epoxy resin desirably has an epoxy equivalent weight from 180-195. A preferred emulsifier is a modified polyethylene oxide-polypropylene oxide block copolymer. The silane coupling agent package includes an aminosilane and a vinyl silane coupling agent. The sizing composition may be used equally well with epoxy, unsaturated polyester, and vinylester thermosetting resins. Reinforcement fibers sized with the inventive sizing composition possess low friction on contact points, low fuzz, and reduced drag. Other performance characteristics such as in-plane shear and dynamic fatigue are also improved by the multi-compatible sizing composition. Fibers sized with the multi-compatible sizing composition may be used, for example, to form woven rovings and fabrics, in filament winding applications, and in pultrusion processes.

Abstract: A two-part sizing formulation that imparts improved strength of reinforced composites including a size composition and a binder composition is provided. The size composition may include one or more coupling agents and one or more film forming agents. The binder composition includes a high acid number copolymer formed from the polymerization of maleic anhydride or maleic acid and at least one other desired monomer and/or a high acid number polycarboxylic acid. In a preferred embodiment, the binder composition includes an ethylene-maleic acid copolymer formed by the hydrolysis of an ethylene-maleic anhydride copolymer. The size composition may be applied to a reinforcing fiber material before the binder size material is applied. The two-part size composition may be applied to a reinforcing fiber material to form a reinforcing fiber product which may then be densified or compacted to form a densified reinforcing fiber product, such as a pellet.

Abstract: A polycarboxy binder composition that contains a dextrin as a co-binder is provided. The dextrin co-binder may be a dextrin, a modified dextrin, a maltodextrin, or combinations thereof. The dextrin may be chemically modified. A pre-binder composition is formed that contains a polycarboxy polymer, a crosslinking agent, and optionally a catalyst. The polycarboxy polymer may be a homopolymer or copolymer prepared from unsaturated carboxylic acids and may be modified to contain one or more vinyl compounds. The crosslinking agent may be a polyol that contains at least two hydroxyl groups. The pre-binder composition may be formed by admixing the polycarboxy polymer, the crosslinking agent, and optionally, the catalyst, in a mixing device. Dextrin may be added to the pre-binder composition in an amount of from 10-75% of the total binder composition. The dextrin binder composition may have a ratio of from approximately 90:10 to 25:75 pre-binder:dextrin co-binder.

Abstract: A two-part sizing system for making colorless, densified fiber pellets of a reinforcing fiber material. The densified product may be advantageously produced by first applying a precursor size composition to reinforcing fiber strands, chopping the reinforcing fiber strands into chopped strand segments, applying a binder size, and densifying the chopped strand segments to form densified fiber pellets. The binder size is formulated using a copolymer of maleic anhydride which generates a product free from discoloration. In the process of making the pellets, the sized chopped strands are densified by tumbling in a rotating chamber for a period of time sufficient to increase their density but insufficient to degrade the fibers to a point where composite articles formed from such pellets have lower tensile or impact strengths than comparable composite articles formed from unpelletized strand segments.

Abstract: An aqueous coating composition comprising a polyurethane/isocyanate emulsion, a homopolymer of acrylic acid, an amino silane and water. The sizes are particularly useful for reinforcing polyamide resins (nylons).