Abstract: A method is provided for forming a wet-laid nonwoven glass fiber mat comprised of a plurality of bundles of fibers. The method includes the steps of adding chopped fibers to an aqueous slurry containing a sufficient amount of a suitable hydrophobic agent to cause the fibers to form a plurality of bundles. The fibers are then formed into a mat which may be used in a number of reinforcement applications. A method is also provided for modifying the components in the water slurry to produce mats comprising either bundles of fibers or dispersed fibers.

Abstract: A roof covering includes a roofing mat formed from fibers of a fiber material. The fibers are coated with a sizing. The roof covering also includes a coating material that coats the mat. The coating material is based on an organic material. The sizing includes a sulfur-containing material that bonds to the fiber material. The sulfur-containing material has sulfur groups that form cross-links with the organic material. In another embodiment, the coating material contains sulfur added to the organic material. The sizing includes a bonding material that bonds to the fiber material and that bonds to the sulfur. The sulfur forms cross-links with the organic material.

Abstract: A liner/insulator include including at least two individual layers of wet processed mat wherein the layers including thermoplastic polymer staple fibers and thermoplastic bicomponent fibers. The layers are bonded together by heat and pressure to provide “tunable” acoustical and thermal properties.

Abstract: A conformable surfacing veil having an improved soft feel is formed by admixing a thermoplastic sheath-core bicomponent fiber with a regularly or irregularly shaped structural fiber to form a core composition for the mat. The bicomponent fiber is formed from a core material and a sheath material. Suitable core material include thermoplastic polymers such as polyethylene terephthalate that have a higher melting point than the sheath like polymer. Suitable sheath materials include polyethylene, polypropylene, and copolyesters having softening points lower than the core material. Thus, when the mixture of structural fibers and bicomponent fibers is heated above the softening point of the sheath materials, the bicomponent fiber will fuse to the structural fibers. The surfacing veils can then be laminated to other reinforcing mats for use as a reinforcement for plastic articles.