Abstract: The invention provides a method of manufacture of man-made vitreous fibers (MMVF) comprising: providing a fiberizing apparatus, wherein the fiberizing apparatus comprises: a set of at least three rotors each mounted for rotation about a different substantially horizontal axis; wherein each rotor has a driving means; rotating the rotors; wherein the first rotor rotates to give an acceleration field of from 25 to 60 km/s2 and the second and third rotors each rotate to give an acceleration field of at least 125 km/s2, providing a mineral melt, wherein the melt has a composition comprising the following, expressed by wt of oxides: SiO2 in an amount of from 33 to 45 wt %, Al2O3 in an amount of from 16 to 24 wt %, an amount of K2O and/or Na2O, an amount of CaO and/or MgO, wherein the ratio of the amount of Al2O3 to the amount of SiO2 is in the range 0.34-0.

Abstract: An R-glass composition including SiO2 in an amount from 59.0 to 64.5% by weight, Al2O3 in an amount from 14.5 to 20.5% by weight, CaO in an amount from 11.0 to 16.0% by weight, MgO in an amount from 5.5 to 11.5% by weight, Na2O in N an amount from 0.0 to 4.0% by weight, TiO2 in an amount from 0.0 to 2.0% by weight, Fe2O3 in an amount from 0.0 to 1.0% by weight, B2O3 in an amount from 0.0 to about 3.0% by weight, K2O, Fe2O3, ZrO2, and Fluorine, each of which is present in an amount from 0.0 to about 1.0% by weight, and SrO and ZnO, each of which is present in an amount from 0.0 to about 2.0% by weight. In exemplary embodiments, the glass composition does not contain lithium or boron.

Abstract: Apparatus, systems and methods for making a fibrous products form molten material into fibers. The fibers are sprayed with a coolant liquid to cool the fibers. A flow rate of the sprayed coolant liquid is controllable. The fibers are also sprayed with a binder dispersion. The fibers are directed toward a conveyor to form an uncured fibrous pack. A thickness of the uncured pack is measured and the flow rate of the sprayed coolant liquid is controlled based on the measured thickness of the uncured pack.

Abstract: A method of forming a needled rotary fiberglass glass insulation product is provided. The formation of the needled insulation product may be conducted in a continuous in-line process in which the fibers are rotary formed, a binder is sprayed onto the hot fibers, the fibers are collected onto a conveyor and formed into a fiberglass pack, the fiberglass pack is passed through the oven, and the cured insulation blanket is passed through a needling apparatus. The reduction in thickness and increased density caused by the needling process permits the production of lower thickness and higher density insulation products. In particular, the needled insulation product may have a thickness of less than about 0.75 inches and a density from about 1 pcf to about 10 pcf. The needled insulation product may be utilized in household appliances, water heaters, and HVAC equipment.

Abstract: A method of producing inorganic fibers includes heating and melting an inorganic raw material that includes 70 wt % or more of silica and 10 wt % to 30 wt % of magnesia and calcia in total in a container to obtain a melt having a melt viscosity of 15 poise or less, supplying the melt to a rotor that rotates at an acceleration of 70 km/s2 or more, drawing the melt due to a centrifugal force caused by rotation of the rotor to obtain fibers, blowing the fibers off by blowing air around the rotor, and collecting the fibers to obtain fibers having an average fiber diameter of 5 ?m or less.

Abstract: Tubular pipe insulation is made from a glass fiber mat produced utilizing a rotary glass fiberization process. A spinner disc is rotated to centrifuge molten glass through fiberization holes in an annular sidewall of the spinner disc and form primary glass fibers. The primary glass fibers are attenuated and formed into a veil where the fibers are dispersed to reduce in length the fiber networks formed from the fibers. Binder is applied to the fibers and the fibers are collected into a mat that, when pulled apart by longitudinally directed, opposing forces, separates across the width of the mat into two mat sections having feathered edges with substantially no fibrous stringers extending beyond the feathered edges for a distance greater than about four inches. The leading mat section is then wound about a mandrel and the binder in the mat is cured to form the pipe insulation.

Abstract: A method of reducing carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon emissions in a rotary glass fiberization process utilizes a fiberizing spinner with fiberizing holes through which molten glass is passed by centrifugal force to form primary fibers which pass through an annular heat bath region and attenuation fluid emitting apparatus that forcefully emits an attenuating fluid to attenuate the primary fibers into finer diameter fibers. Oxygen is introduced into the annular heat bath region to oxygen enrich the annular heat bath region and is combusted in the annular heat bath region to materially reduce carbon monoxide and unburned hydrocarbon emissions produced by the process.

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: A method is provided to produce fine diameter glass fibers with fewer defects through a combination of lower attenuating gas velocities and the use of spinners having more and smaller holes. The method uses a device for internal centrifugation of mineral fibers including a centrifuge equipped with a peripheral band perforated with orifices distributed in a plurality of annular zones arranged on top of each other, assuming that the centrifuge is in centrifugation position. The device includes at least two annular zones whose number of orifices per unit of surface area differs by a value greater than or equal to 5%, 10%, or 20%.

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 process and an apparatus for producing glass fibers by centrifugal force are provided. Molten glass is fed into a hollow cylinder of rotating member which rotates at high speed by means of a driving device and is heated. The molten glass is ejected to an outside of a peripheral wall by centrifugal force generated by high speed rotation of the rotating member through orifices, each of which has different diameter, and which are provided alternately in a circumferential direction of the peripheral wall. A primary steam of molten glass is ejected. The primary streams is introduced into flame flow ejecting from drawing burners located at outside of the peripheral wall to form secondary fibers. A compressed gas flow is ejected to a direction at an acute angle through an ejecting outlet of an ejecting nozzle to collide the compressed fluid with the secondary fibers to thereby produce glass fibers by continuously.

Abstract: A method of controlling process variables, for a fiberizing assembly including a rotary fiberizing disk in the manufacture of fibers from a high temperature, molten, clear or translucent, thermoplastic, fiberizable material, utilizes an optical sensor assembly. The optical sensor assembly includes a water-cooled optical fiber sensor probe which, in effect, only gathers light emitted from the external sidewall surface of the rotary fiberizing disk. The light is conducted from the probe to an electronic unit that converts the light energy into a temperature value. This temperature value is used to monitor the process and to make any changes in process variables, such as but not limited to heat input to the fiberizing disk, rate of rotation of the fiberizing disk, burner air/fuel ratio, required to produce fibers having desired fiber properties.

Abstract: At least two machines placed side by side, including a series of centrifuging wheels arranged in a cascaded manner and driven in rotation about axes all having substantially in a same direction. Two consecutive wheels rotate in opposite directions, and are simultaneously fed with material to be fiberized. The material is poured onto the first wheel, is accelerated, and is conveyed onto the second wheel, and then optionally onto following wheels, in order to be converted into fibers by centrifugal ejection, the fibers being picked up by a gas stream and collected by a gathering device. The main axes of two adjacent machines are positioned along a non-zero angle adjusted in order for two gas streams emitted by the two adjacent machines to meet and combine. Such machines may find application in the manufacture of products based on mineral fibers.

Abstract: Reinforced fiber insulation is formed by depositing a mixture of textile fiber segments and rotary and/or flame attenuated segments on a surface, mixing a binder with the fibers, and heating the binder to join the fibers together. The low cost process provides a mixed fiber insulation product with improved strength after compression.

Abstract: Resilient fibrous insulation batts are formed with the fibers of the batts being randomly oriented and entangled together and predominately lying in planes that extend substantially perpendicular to the major surfaces and the end surfaces of the batts and substantially parallel to the lateral surfaces of the batts to facilitate a widthwise compression of the batts. The batts are formed by collecting fibers into a blanket with the fibers being collected in layers lying in planes extending substantially parallel to the major surfaces of the blanket and the blanket having a thickness equal to the widths of the batts to be formed. The blanket is then cut longitudinally and transversely, in directions perpendicular to the major surfaces of the blanket, into sections having thicknesses and lengths equal to those of the batts to complete the formation of the batts.

Abstract: The subject of the invention is a mineral wool capable of being dissolved in a physiological medium and comprising the constituents below in the following percentages by weight: SiO2 38-52% Al2O3 16-23% RO (CaO + MgO) 4-15% R2O (Na2O + K2O) 16-25% B2O3 0-10% Fe2O3 (total iron) 0-3%, preferably 0-1.5% P2O5 0-3%, preferably 0-1.5% TiO2 0-2%.

Abstract: Glass compositions displaying decreased far infrared radiation transmission, high biosolubility, and excellent moisture resistance are capable of fiberization by the rotary process, and may be used to prepare thermal insulation products exhibiting high thermal insulation efficiency as reflected by low thermal index values. The insulation products also exhibit excellent stiffness and recovery properties.

Abstract: A process is provided for making filled mineral fiber products which comprises applying mineral melt to a rotating fiberizing rotor and thereby throwing from the rotor as fibers and forming a substantially annular cloud of fibers, spraying binder into the annular cloud of fibers, carrying the fibers axially from the rotor towards a collector surface and collecting the fibers on the collector surface as a web. The process includes spraying into the substantially annular cloud a slurry which has specific gravity of at least 1.1, preferably at least 1.2, and which comprises a substantially stable liquid dispersion of particulate material in an aqueous binder.

Abstract: The invention relates to an arrangement for cleaning a wool chamber in the manufacture of mineral wool. In the manufacture of mineral wool a binder is added to the stream of fibers which is deflected towards the wool chamber and the binder deposits itself in fine droplets in the fibers. The binder-laden fibers which touch against the walls and roof of the wool chamber adhere to them because the binder hardens upon contact with the hot surfaces. Gradually a hard deposit of binder and fibers is formed upon the walls. According to the invention cleaning of the walls is substantially simplified by means of making the walls and/or roof of a double walled construction, perforating the inner walls and applying a reduced pressure in the cavity between the walls holding a detachable lining against the inner walls by means of suction.

Abstract: A method of making a fibrous pack includes centrifuging at least two sets of mineral fibers from molten mineral material using at least two rotary mineral fiber spinners that are arranged in a machine direction along a collection surface, directing each set of the mineral fibers into a downwardly moving veil beneath one of the mineral fiber spinners, generating a downwardly moving array of aligned organic fibers from at least one orificed die that is spaced apart from each of the mineral fiber spinners and directing the array into contact with the mineral fibers, and collecting the mineral fibers and organic fibers as a fibrous pack.

Abstract: An irregularly shaped glass fiber is provided which enjoys improved resiliency, and openness in pack structures. Wool packs and other wool portions having such irregularly shaped fibers may be processed directly through needling to form a non-woven material without intervening steps such as carding or blending of fibers which accompany conventional glass fiber processing operations. In a further aspect of the invention, a non-woven material including irregularly shaped fibers in a generally continuous wool tow is produced by "unwinding" a fiberglass wool pack collected by a direct forming method. Product applications include simplified, lower cost processing, and new uses of the irregularly shaped fibers produced by rotary fiberization in filtration elements, sorbants, gaskets, packings, shingles, composite structural elements, furnishings, textiles, yarns, and blown-in insulation systems.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a mineral fiber product includes centrifuging mineral fibers with a spinner, forming a veil of the mineral fibers moving in the direction of the axis of the spinner, directing toward the veil, from a position within the veil, organic material to cause intermingling of the organic material and the mineral fibers, and, collecting the intermingled organic material and mineral fibers to form a mineral fiber product.

Abstract: A method for fiberizing mineral material with organic material includes centrifuging mineral fibers from molten mineral material with a first spinner rotating about an axis, changing the direction of the mineral fibers to form a downwardly moving veil of mineral fibers, establishing a flow of molten organic material moving downwardly in a first conduit positioned within the veil, and directing the flow of molten organic material to a position beneath the spinner, dividing the flow of molten organic material into a plurality of streams, directing, by means of individual conduits, individual ones of the plurality of streams radially outwardly away from the first conduit, rotating the individual conduits about the axis, centrifuging organic fibers from the molten organic material by means of nozzles at the radially outward ends of the individual conduits, and directing the organic fibers into contact with the veil of mineral fibers.

Abstract: A method for fiberizing mineral material with organic material includes centrifuging mineral fibers from molten mineral material with a first rotating spinner, changing the direction of the mineral fibers to form a downwardly moving veil of mineral fibers, establishing a flow of molten organic material moving toward a second rotating spinner positioned within the veil, dividing the flow of molten organic material into a plurality of streams, directing, by means of conduits, individual ones of the plurality of streams toward the peripheral wall of the second rotating spinner, the conduits shielding the molten organic material from heat from the first rotating spinner, and centrifuging organic fibers from the molten organic material.

Abstract: The invention relates to fiberizing apparatus for forming mineral wool and a process using that apparatus. The apparatus comprises a set (1) of at least three rotors mounted for rotation about respective horizontal axes. Melt is poured onto the top rotor (4) and thrown onto subsequent rotors in turn (5, 6 and 7) with the result that fibres are thrown off. The rotors all rotate to give an acceleration field of at least 50 km/s.sup.2, and are spacially arranged in respect to one another so that a line drawn from the axis of the first rotor (4) to the axis of the second rotor (5) makes an angle (C) of 0-20.degree. below the horizontal.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a mineral fiber product comprises centrifuging mineral fibers with a spinner, forming a veil of the mineral fibers moving in the direction of the axis of the spinner, directing toward the veil, from a position within the veil, polymeric material to cause intermingling of the polymeric material and the mineral fibers, and, collecting the intermingled polymeric material and mineral fibers to form a mineral fiber product.