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: An air filtration media comprises a single layer of randomly oriented and randomly intermingled synthetic, polymeric resin microfibers, staple fibers and bonding fibers. The microfibers, taken as a whole, have an average fiber diameter no greater than 5 microns and comprise between 50% and 90% by weight of the filtration media; the staple fibers, taken as a whole, have an average fiber diameter between 10 and 30 microns and typically, comprise between 5% and 45% by weight of the filtration media; and the bonding fibers, taken as a whole, have an average fiber diameter between 0.9 and 15 denier and comprise between 5% and 25% by weight of the filtration media. The bonding fibers have thermoplastic surfaces with a lower temperature softening point than the microfibers and the staple fibers and bond the fibers together to form the air filtration media.

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.

Abstract: Molded fibrous workpieces of various cross sectional configurations are coated with a polymeric latex foam coating material to encapsulate fibers and dust within the exterior surfaces of the workpieces. The foam coating is applied by passing the workpieces through a coating chamber filled with the polymeric foam so that the workpieces are totally immersed in the foam coating as the workpieces pass through the chamber. Openings for introducing the workpieces into and discharging the workpieces from the chamber have a configuration complementary to the transverse configuration of the workpieces. The foam coating is introduced into the chamber both above and below the path of the workpieces through the coating chamber to assure that the coating chamber remains fully charged with the foam coating. Brushes or wiper blades spread the foam coating over the exterior surfaces of the workpieces.

Abstract: A plasma arc melter which is equipped with at least two transferred arc plasma torches of opposite polarities is used to melt normal batch materials for producing glass, ceramics, refractories and other such materials and for the recycling, combustion and/or vitrifying incineration of waste materials. To enhance the stability of the plasma jets, the anode torch is positioned farther above the surface of the materials being processed than the cathode torch and the materials being processed are introduced into the melter so that the materials first pass beneath the cathode torch. An oxidizing gas can be introduced into the zone between the torches in the region of the plasma jets to enhance the combustion process. For waste materials with a high organic content, a plasma arc afterburner can be used to further treat the exhaust gases from the melter.

Abstract: A glass fiber structural panel has one or more planar, thin, high density, glass fiber mat laminates. Each glass fiber mat laminate has layers of glass fiber mat and intermediate layers of pliable, thermoplastic adhesive adhesively bonding the layers of glass fiber mat together to form the planar, thin, high density, glass fiber mat laminate which, after being folded through 180.degree., will return to a planar condition without wrinkles or creases in the major surfaces of the laminate. Bower density glass fiber backing or core layers can be adhesively bonded to the planar, thin, high density, glass fiber mat laminates to inexpensively increase the thickness and sound absorbing properties of the structural panel.

Abstract: The present invention relates to furan resins having low levels of VOCs. The claimed furan resins are the reaction product of a source of ammonia and a first reaction product, said first reaction product being derived from the reaction between a source of reactable formaldehyde, a formaldehyde scavenger, and an acidic furan resin resulting from the polymerization reaction wherein at least one reagent is selected from the group consisting of the furan containing molecule having the general formula ##STR1## and its saturated analogs thereof having zero to one carbon-carbon double bonnets, wherein X and Y are independently comprised of organic molecular groups.

Abstract: Emissions of formaldehyde and ammonia from urea-extended alkaline phenol/formaldehyde resole fiberglass binders are sharply reduced by using as a catalyst an emission-reducing effective amount of an acidifying agent which is a hydrolyzable inorganic salt, mineral acid, monomeric carboxylic acid or partial ester of a polycarboxylic acid such that the instantaneous pH of the binder solution is lower than 5.5. Use of the catalysts of the subject process also allow for additional urea-extension without degradation of fiberglass product physical properties. The preferred catalyst is aluminum sulfate in an amount of from 2.0 weight percent to about 4.0 weight percent based on the resin solids.

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: Molded fibrous workpieces of various cross sectional configurations are coated with a polymeric latex foam coating material to encapsulate fibers and dust within the exterior surfaces of the workpieces. The foam coating is applied by passing the workpieces through a coating chamber filled with the polymeric foam so that the workpieces are totally immersed in the foam coating as the workpieces pass through the chamber. Openings for introducing the workpieces into and discharging the workpieces from the chamber have a configuration complementary to the transverse configuration of the workpieces. The foam coating is introduced into the chamber both above and below the path of the workpieces through the coating chamber to assure that the coating chamber remains fully charged with the foam coating. Brushes or wiper blades spread the foam coating over the exterior surfaces of the workpieces.

Abstract: An apparatus for continuously foaming a polyimide prepolymer powder which is not susceptible to heating by microwave energy utilize a preheated conveyor belt to heat the powder in contact with and adjacent the surface of the conveyor belt to commence the reaction and foaming of the powder as it enters an oven which further heats the powder by convection and infrared radiation to form a continuous foam bun. The conveyor belt is cooled as it exits the oven to cool a bottom surface of the foam product to enable the foam product to be removed from the conveyor before interior portions of the foam product have cooled. Foam adhering to the conveyor belt, after the product has been removed, is cleaned from the conveyor belt, collected and mixed with and used as a filler in the prepolymer powder used in the process. In addition the mass of the powder entering the oven and the density and degree of cure of the foam bun exiting the oven are monitored to continuously control the process.

Abstract: Described is an acidic glass fiber binding composition comprising an aqueous soluble phenol formaldehyde resin having low free formaldehyde, an effective amount of a formaldehyde scavenger, and an effective amount of a strong aqueous soluble acid, wherein the composition has an acidic pH and the solids content ranges from about 1 to about 30% by weight of the total composition. Also described is a method of binding glass fibers such as newly formed warm glass fibers at junctions of the fibers by applying the composition as described above to the fibers and then drying the composition. Also described are B-staged and C-staged glass fiber compositions having a alkylamine content less than 5 ppm.

Abstract: A self-supporting headliner panel for lining the interior surface of an automotive roof comprises a front sheet, a back sheet and an intermediate corrugated sheet adhered to the front and back sheets. The front sheet and the back sheet each comprise wood fibers and polypropylene. To form the panel, a laminate of the front sheet, the back sheet and the intermediate corrugated sheet is molded in a heated mold which melts polypropylene fibers in the front and back sheet causing the laminate to conform to the shape of the mold and adhering the three sheets together.

Abstract: A spiral core comprises successive convolutions of a rigidifying layer which are spaced with respect to each other and maintained in a spiral spaced relationship. Preferably, a spiral insulation layer, having convolutions intermediate the convolutions of the rigidifying layer and forming a laminate with the rigidifying layer, is also present in the spiral core. The insulation layer and the rigidifying layer are bonded together to maintain the laminate spirally wound. The rigidifying layer can be a sheet material that is bonded to the insulation layer or a bonding material that hardens to both form the rigidifying layer and bond the rigidifying layer to the insulation layer. The insulation layer is a flexible insulation material such as, fiber glass blanket, a mineral wool fiber blanket, a ceramic fiber blanket, a polyimide fiber blanket or a foam sheet.