Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for manufacturing mineral wool. The apparatus includes means (1) for producing molten mineral material, at least one fiberizing device (3) for forming fibres, into which fiberizing device the molten mineral material is fed (2) and by which fibres (12) are formed. The fiberizing device (3) comprises, rotationally arranged around a vertical axis (15), at least one fiberizing plate (13) having a vertical peripheral edge, into which are formed numerous small-sized holes (14), through which the molten material is led by centrifugal force to form fibres (12). Into the fiberizing device (3) are arranged elements to produce a vertical flow of blowing medium (16) to be led around the fiberizing plate (13), the flow causing the fibres (12) to turn downwards and, at the same time, to thin. Downstream the fiberizing device (3) is arranged a collection device (6), into which the formed fibres (12) are led and collected into a mat-like material.

Abstract: A method for forming an insulation product based on a composite of mineral wool and another first material comprising the steps of: (1) forming mineral wool fibers using at least one fiberizing device; (2) introducing the first material to the formed mineral wool fibers at a location proximate the fiberizing device to form a first mixture; (3) drawing the first mixture into a collector to form a structure having a predetermined thickness; and (4) subsequently processing the first mixture to form the insulation product, wherein the first material is disposed throughout the insulation product.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for treating an elongated object using a plasma process. The method comprises the steps of providing an elongated object in a planar electrode structure, and applying potential differences between electrodes of an electrode structure to generate the plasma process. Further, the method comprises at least partially surrounding the elongated object by a unitary section of the guiding structure, the electrode structure being associated with the unitary section.

Abstract: A method for making a panel comprising the steps of providing a plurality of waveguides including an optical core layer having a first and a second surface coated with a cladding material that forms a cladding layer, positioning a thermosetting adhesive between the plurality of waveguides, wherein the thermosetting adhesive includes a thermosetting resin, and curing the thermosetting adhesive.

Abstract: Methods of forming compressed preform products formed from continuous fibers substantially evenly coated with a thermoplastic sizing composition are provided. Applying a thermoplastic sizing composition to continuous fibers during the formation of the fibers enables a preform to be formed without applying any additional sizing or binder compositions at later stages of the manufacturing of the preform. The thermoplastic sizing composition includes a thermoplastic material, and, optionally a silane coupling agent. The thermoplastic material in the thermoplastic sizing composition includes chemicals and/or compounds that are thermoplastic or possess thermoplastic properties. One or more preforms may be randomly inserted to a muffler cavity. Upon the application of heat, the preforms decompress and fill the cavity with fibrous material. Due to the ability to decompress the compressed preform product, the preform product can have a shape that is independent of the shape of the muffler cavity.

Abstract: The subject of the invention is a unit for manufacturing felts (6) which are formed from crosslinked mineral fibers, comprising at least one pair of conveyors formed by a lower conveyor (11) and an upper conveyor (12) which are placed opposite each other and intended to compress said felt (6) in at least one direction, a means (13) for heat treating the felt (6) after it has passed through the conveyors (11, 12) comprising at least one means (14) placed between the conveyors (11, 12) and the heat treatment means (13), intended to prevent decompression of the felt (6) in this region, said means comprising at least one cam (14) having a profile suitable for keeping a constant and minimum distance between the conveyors (11, 12) and the heat treatment means (13), and in that at least one of the conveyors is rigidly connected to one element of the heat treatment means (13).

Abstract: A two-part sizing composition including a precursor size composition and a binder composition, the binder composition being substantially free of any aminosilane coupling agent for is provided for the production of reinforcing fiber materials that exhibit little or no coloration. The two-part sizing composition may be advantageously employed to make substantially colorless, densified fiber pellets of a reinforcing fiber material. The densified fiber pellets may be produced by applying the sizing composition to reinforcing fiber strands, chopping the reinforcing fiber strands to form chopped strand segments, applying the binder composition, and palletizing and densifying the coated chopped strand segments to form flowable densified fiber pellets.

Abstract: A binder slurry for a continuous filament mat used in a phenolic pultrusion system comprising a phenolic compatible silane, a non-ionic surfactant, a defoamer, water, an organic acid and a bisphenol epoxy powdered resin having a thermally active dicyandiamide cross-linking resin. The binder slurry resin is unique in that the bisphenol epoxy powdered resin having a thermally active dicyandiamide cross-linking resin is compatable with presently available phenolic resins, and as such pultruded parts made have improved surface and mechanical properties as compared with traditional polyester type binder slurries which are not compatable with phenolic resins. Continuous filament mats made with the new binder slurry also may also be made into epoxy prepreg that can be used to make composite parts.

Abstract: A filter medium for an air filter, characterized in that it comprises a filter material having a glass fiber as its primary component and an alkyl ketene dimer adhered to the surface of the glass fiber; and a method for producing the filter medium which comprises a step of subjecting a dispersed slurry of a raw material fiber to a wet papermaking to form a wet paper, a step of immersing the wet paper in an aqueous dispersion or solution of the dimer or a liquid mixture of the dimer and a binder resin, or applying or spraying any of the above-mentioned liquids to the wet paper, to thereby allow the dimer to adhere onto the surface of the glass fiber, and a step of drying the resultant wet paper having the dimer adhered thereto. The filter medium exhibits a reduced amount of an out gas generated when it is used with ventilation and also exhibits high water-repellency and satisfactory strength in various applications such as air conditioning of a building and semiconductor manufacturing.

Abstract: A fiberglass insulation binder composition made from a polycarboxy polymer, a polyhydroxy crosslinking agent, and a cationic surfactant, amphoteric surfactant, nonionic surfactant, or mixture thereof. Also, a process for manufacturing a fiberglass insulation product, which involves a step of applying the binder composition onto a fiberglass substrate and curing the fiberglass substrate so treated. Binders produced in accordance with the present invention are characterized by improved atomization, improved binder dispersion and fiber wetting properties, and improved protection of individual fibers during processing.

Abstract: An insulation product contains a mixed layer of textile fibers and of rotary and/or flame attenuated fibers. A process for manufacturing the insulation product includes passing fibrous bundles of textile fibers and of rotary and/or flame attenuated fibers together through an apparatus that divides the textile fibers into segments and that mixes the textile fiber segments with the rotary and/or flame attenuated fibers. The bundles of rotary and/or flame attenuated fibers can be in the form of specially manufactured mats and/or can be production scraps. The resulting mixture of fibers is formed into a non-woven batt, mat, blanket, or board. The process provides a mixed fiber product, with an improved combination of thermal and acoustic insulating performance and adequate strength, at a low production cost.

Abstract: A process for producing sized glass yarns, which entails: a) drawing streams of molten glass from orifices located at a bottom of one or more dies, in a form of one or more fans of continuous filaments, b) assembling the filaments into one or more moving supports, wherein a first stable composition having a viscosity of between 0.5 and 250 cP is deposited onto the surface of the continuous filaments, and a second stable composition, supplied separately from the first and having a viscosity of between 0.5 and 300 cP, is deposited onto the surface of the filaments of the yarns, at the earliest during deposition of the first composition and at the latest during collection of the years, the difference in viscosity between the two compositions deposited being less than 150 cP, the mixture of the deposited compositions functioning as a sizing composition and being polymerizable at room temperature.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for manufacturing continuous a glass fiber strand. The process consists in depositing on the glass filaments which are in the process of being drawn a sizing composition consisting of a solution of which the solvent content is less than 5 wt %, the solution comprising a mixture of constituents which can be polymerized and/or crosslinked by heat treatment, at least 60 wt % of the constituents being constituents of which the molecular weight (Mw) is less than 750, less than 10 weight % being film-forming agents and 0 to 25 weight % being coupling agents, lubricants, stabilizers and initiators and/or catalysts, it being possible if necessary for the agent to be polymerized and/or crosslinked by heat treatment, in winding the strand or strands, formed by collection of the filaments, on a rotating support so as to form a wound package consisting of turns of strand coated with a non-polymerized sizing composition.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for forming coated fibers suitable for making a composite article. A plurality of fibers are coated with an aqueous- or non-aqueous-based chemical treatment containing a curable resin such that the resin on the fibers is in a partially cured or uncured state. The coated fibers may then be formed into a composite article in a subsequent forming operation, for example, by filament winding, pultrusion, weaving, knitting, or extrusion coating. The strand of fibers may also be shaped into a preform which can be used in resin transfer molding (RTM) and injection molding processes.

Abstract: A method for high velocity coating optical fibers includes passing a fiber with diameter l at velocity V through a coating container to which liquid coating material with viscosity .mu. is supplied under pressure p. Unwanted bubble formation in the coating is prevented by adjusting one or more of the parameters V, l, .mu., and p using the relationship:S=pl/.mu.Vwhere S is a constant characteristic of the coating container/die structure.

Abstract: In one general aspect, the invention involves applying a chemical treatment to fibers, such as reinforcing fibers suitable for making a composite article, so as to size and/or preimpregnate the fibers. The chemical treatment has a relatively low viscosity and is substantially solvent-free and non-radiation curable. Heat energy may be employed to lower the viscosity and improve the wetting ability of the applied treatment and/or to increase the molecular weight of, or otherwise cure, the treatment with essentially no generation of solvent vapor. The treated fibers are used to form a composite strand, which may be subsequently processed in-line or off-line into a composite article having fibers disposed in a polymeric matrix. Another general aspect relates to encased composite strands, in thread or pellet form, and to wire-coating methods and apparatus for making them. The strands are moldable into fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composite articles.

Abstract: A method for coating an optical fiber (1) has the optical fiber (1) exiting the longitudinal direction through a coating nozzle (10) from a volume (11) which is filled with a liquid hardenable coating material (6). The surface of the fiber is spaced from the wall (12) of the coating nozzle (10). The viscosity of the coating material (6) at room temperature is greater than 2500 mPa.multidot.s and the temperature of the coating material (6) is adjusted high enough for the coating material (6) to have a viscosity of less than 2000 mPa.multidot.s.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for the in-line production of composite strand material and the conversion of at least a portion of the strand material into a composite product. The apparatus (10) includes a combining station (48) where glass fibers (14) with a second polymeric material (66) are combined to form composite strand material (16), and at least one mold (54) for receiving a portion of the composite strand material and forming the portion into a composite product. The apparatus also includes transfer equipment for moving the composite strand material from the combining station to the mold, which may include a computer-controlled robotic arm (52). In another embodiment, the apparatus includes a collecting device (18) for accumulating the composite strand material (16) in looped form and equipment for delivering the accumulated portion from the collecting device to the mold (54).

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for manufacturing continuous a glass fiber strand.The process consists in depositing on the glass filaments which are in the process of being drawn a sizing composition of which the solvent content is less than 5 wt % of solvent selected from organic solvent and water, the solution comprising at least 70 wt % of a mixture of constituents which can be polymerized and/or crosslinked by heat treatment, at least 60 wt % of the constituents being constituents of which the molecular weight (Mw) is less than 750, less than 10 weight % being film-forming agents and 0 to 25 weight % being coupling agents, lubricants, stabilizers and initiators and/or catalysts, and in winding the strand or strands, formed by collection of the filaments, on a rotating support so as to form a wound package consisting of turns of strand coated with a non-polymerized sizing composition.The strands are intended to reinforce thermoplastic or thermosetting organic substrates or substances of mineral origin.

Abstract: Glass fiber non-woven fabric for base material of a laminate comprising binder binding glass fibers to each other, said binder including a reactant product formed by reacting a solution of tri-functional epoxy resin, bi-functional epoxy resin and tri-ethylene tetramine and having an acetic solution and phenyl amino-silane coupling agent added thereto. The thus obtained glass fiber non-woven fabric is impregnated with an predetermined amount of epoxy resin and dried to produce prepregs, which are superposed one upon another and formed under heat and pressure of 20 kgf/cm.sup.2 to produce the laminate.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of producing glass strands, the method comprising coating glass strands with a heat-polymerizable composition constituted by a solution with a solvent content of less than 5% by weight and a viscosity of less than 400 cP, the solution comprising a basic structure which can be polymerized or cross-linked thermally, the structure comprising at least 60% by weight of one or more components with molecular weights of less than 750, having at least one acrylic and/or methacrylic and/or vinyl other and/or N-vinylamide and/or N-vinyllactam function, the proportion of polyfunctional components within these components being at least 45% by weight of these components, so as to produce glass strands coated with a non-polymerized, heat-polymerizable composition.

Abstract: The invention provides a process for fabricating a fiber optic microcable mposed of materials having properties which facilitate its manufacture. The microcable is comprised of an optical fiber core, a buffer surrounding the core, and a protective sheath surrounding the buffer consisting of an electromagnetic radiation cured resin impregnated with fibers suspended in the resin to enhance the resistance of the microcable to physical damage. The microcable is fabricated by soaking the fibers in an electromagnetic radiation curable resin, placing the wetted fibers around the core and buffer to form a matrix, and then irradiating the matrix with electromagnetic radiation to cure the resin.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing a composite thread formed by the association or blending of continuous glass filaments and continuous filaments thermoplastic organic matter. The thermoplastic filaments are, while in the form of a sheet, blended with a cluster or sheet of glass filaments after having been heated to a temperature in excess of their transformation temperature, stretched and then cooled in their stretched state.

Abstract: A method of moulding, notably injection or compression moulding, of a composite product from an impregnation paste based upon thermosetting resin or resins and a reinforcement of glass threads, by supplying the moulds with an impregnation paste and reinforcement in the form of coated chopped direct rovings incorporated into the paste, the coating material of which includes an adhesive agent based upon polyurethane or polyurethanes.

Abstract: An aqueous size composition for glass fibers is disclosed which includes a thermoplastic polymer resin powder, a coupling agent, and fugitive processing aids, such as binders or film formers. The composition is applied to the glass fiber surfaces during the fiber forming process. A fugitive rheology modifier material may be added to the size composition. One embodiment of the composition includes a polyethylene oxide binder material and a polyphenylene sulfide thermoplastic polymer resin.

Abstract: In the manufacture of a continuous thread coated with a mixture which reacts to ultraviolet radiation, a large number of continuous filaments are formed by mechanically drawing a large number of molten thermoplastic material streams flowing from openings in at least one device. A mixture in the liquid state which can react under the effect of ultraviolet radiation is deposited onto the surface of at least some of the filaments before they are combined to form at least one thread. The thread is wound into the form of a winding on a rotating support, and exposed to ultraviolet radiation during the winding operation.

Abstract: A method of forming a fibrous composite that includes forming first and second layered groups of fibers extending in side-by-side relation; and passing gas such as air through the groups of fibers to effect controlled reduction in overall thickness of the two groups of fibers. The two groups of fibers are typically bonded together, and a think flexible, porous support layer may support the first layer which consists of glass fibers of smaller diameter than the glass fibers in the second layer.