Abstract: Submerged combustion burners having a burner body, a burner tip connected thereto. Submerged combustion melters including the burners and methods of using them to produce molten glass. The burner body has an external conduit and first and second internal conduits substantially concentric therewith, forming first and second annuli for passing a cooling fluid therethrough. The burner tip body is connected to the burner body at ends of the external and second internal conduits. The burner tip includes a generally central flow passage for a combustible mixture, the flow passage defined by an inner wall of the burner tip. The burner tip includes a crown portion defining a circumferential concavity.

Abstract: A roofing system includes a plurality of insulation boards adapted for overlying a roof deck to form a layer of insulation, and a plurality of cover boards adapted for overlying the layer of insulation. Each insulation board includes a polymer foam material having a first density. Each cover board includes a material including polyisocyanurate, the material having a second density greater than the first. The foam material of the insulation boards may include, for example, polystyrene, polyurethane, or a phenolic material. The insulation boards and cover boards may include facers on top or bottom surfaces.

Abstract: A pliable reinforcement carrier membrane for use in a coated membrane composite includes a pliable non-woven fibrous mat of entangled polymeric fibers and a hydrophobic binder. The membrane is made so that a first surface of the mat has portions of a portion of the polymeric fibers of the mat protruding therefrom in extent and in sufficient amounts to give the first surface of the mat a fuzzy characteristic to facilitate adhesion of a coating material and a second surface of the fibrous mat has a generally smooth, non-fuzzy surface. A pliable waterproof composite, including the membrane, has a bottom surface formed by a filled asphalt, modified bitumen, or non-asphaltic polymeric coating that overlies and is adhered to the first surface of the mat to provide a barrier against liquid water transmission through the composite and a top surface formed by the second surface of the mat.

Abstract: A tubular fibrous blanket is formed using a rotary fiberizer which produces a tow of substantially continuous thermoplastic fibers and a suction chamber with an annular, vertically extending, collection surface spaced from and surrounding the rotary fiberizer. The fibrous tow is collected on the annular, vertical collection surface or on a foraminous backing sheet passing over the collection surface in a spiral of very low pitch with succeeding portions of the tow at least partially overlapping and preferably, substantially completely overlapping preceding portions of the tow to form the tubular blanket. The tubular fibrous blanket and the backing sheet, when used, can then be slit longitudinally and unfolded to form a flat blanket having continuous fibers extending substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the blanket.