Abstract: A fibrous insulation product, such as a fibrous insulation blanket or board product, includes a plurality of fibers that are entangled together and a crosslinked aromatic polymeric binder that bonds the plurality of fibers together. The fibrous insulation product includes between 80 and 99 weight percent of the fibers and between 1% by weight and 20% by weight of the crosslinked aromatic binder. The fibrous insulation product has a density of between 0.4 and 6.0 pounds per cubic foot (pcf) and an R-value of between 4 and 50. The crosslinked aromatic polymeric binder has an aromaticity of greater than 10%.

Abstract: Fiber-containing products are described that include a cured binder formed from a binder composition that may include a sugar alcohol having three or more carbon atoms, and a polymeric polycarboxylic acid. The binder composition may be characterized by a mole ratio of hydroxyl groups to carboxylic acid groups greater than or about 1.1:1. The fiber-containing product may also be characterized by a thermal stability that is greater than a comparative fiber-containing product made with a comparative cured binder that includes the polymeric polycarboxylic acid but lacks the sugar alcohol. The fiber-containing products may include thermal insulation products such as building insulation, pipe insulation, duct insulation, and appliance insulation.

Abstract: Processes of making a non-woven glass fiber mat are described. The process may include forming an aqueous dispersion of fibers. The process may also include passing the dispersion through a mat forming screen to form a wet mat. The process may further include applying a carbohydrate binder composition to the wet mat to form a binder-containing wet mat. The binder compositions may include a carbohydrate, a nitrogen-containing compound, and a thickening agent. The binder compositions may have a Brookfield viscosity of 7 to 50 centipoise at 20° C. The thickening agents may include modified celluloses such as hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), and polysaccharides such as xanthan gum, guar gum, and starches. The process may include curing the binder-containing wet mat to form the non-woven glass fiber mat.

Abstract: Fiber-containing composites are described that contain woven or non-woven fibers, and a cured binder formed from a binder composition that includes (1) a reducing sugar and (2) a crosslinking agent that includes a first carbon moiety selected from an aldehyde, a ketone, a nitrile, and a nitro group, wherein an ?-carbon atom having at least one acidic hydrogen is directly bonded to the first carbon moiety. Exemplary reducing sugars include dextrose and exemplary crosslinking agents include glyoxal. Exemplary fiber-containing composites may include fiberglass insulation.

Abstract: Binder compositions are described that include a phenol, a urea compound, formaldehyde, and at least one cyclic urea-dialdehyde compound. The cyclic urea-dialdehyde compound forms crosslinking bonds between polymers of phenol-urea-formaldehyde when the binder composition is cured. Also described are methods of making fiberglass insulation products using the above-described binder compositions. The methods may include contacting the binder composition with glass fibers and forming an amalgam of the binder composition and the glass fibers. The amalgam may be heated to form mats of the glass fibers and binder. The mats may be processed into the fiberglass insulation products.

Abstract: Binder compositions for fiberglass are disclosed, comprising a polycarboxylic acid such as polyacrylic acid and a crosslinking agent. The crosslinking agent comprises a polyhydroxy component formed from a reaction of an epoxidized plant oil with an amine and optionally with a phenolic compound. The molar ratio of the amine to the epoxidized plant oil at the beginning of said reaction may be greater than 1:1. Methods of making the binders and fiber-containing composites made with said binders are also described.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present technology may include piping insulation products. The piping insulation product may include glass fibers and a binder. The binder may include cured products from a binder composition that includes a carbohydrate, a nitrogen-containing compound, and a catalyst that catalyzes the reaction between the carbohydrate and the nitrogen-containing compound. The catalyst may be water soluble before curing but water insoluble after curing. The nitrogen-containing compound may include an amino-amide, an amine salt of an organic acid, an ammonium salt of a carboxylic acid, or a reaction product of a urea compound and an aldehyde-containing compound. The catalyst may include a polymer including a sulfate, sulfonate, phosphate, or phosphonate moiety. The catalyst may be a crosslinker.

Abstract: Fiber-containing composites are described that contain woven or non-woven fibers, and a cured binder formed from a binder composition that includes (1) a reducing sugar and (2) a crosslinking agent that includes a first carbon moiety selected from an aldehyde, a ketone, a nitrile, and a nitro group, wherein an ?-carbon atom having at least one acidic hydrogen is directly bonded to the first carbon moiety. Exemplary reducing sugars include dextrose and exemplary crosslinking agents include glyoxal. Exemplary fiber-containing composites may include fiberglass insulation.

Abstract: Fiber-containing composites are described that contain woven or non-woven fibers, and a cured binder formed from a binder composition that includes (1) a reducing sugar and (2) a crosslinking agent that includes a first carbon moiety selected from an aldehyde, a ketone, a nitrile, and a nitro group, wherein an ?-carbon atom having at least one acidic hydrogen is directly bonded to the first carbon moiety. Exemplary reducing sugars include dextrose and exemplary crosslinking agents include glyoxal. Exemplary fiber-containing composites may include fiberglass insulation.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present technology may include a method of reducing leaching from a fiber-containing composite. The method may include forming an aqueous dispersion of fibers. The method may further include applying a binder composition to the aqueous dispersion of fibers to form a binder-fiber mixture. The binder composition may include a carbohydrate, a nitrogen-containing compound, and a catalyst that catalyzes the reaction between the carbohydrate and the nitrogen-containing compound. The catalyst may be water soluble before curing but water insoluble after curing. In addition, the method may include curing the binder-fiber mixture to form the fiber-containing composite.

Abstract: Formaldehyde-free binder compositions are described that include an aldehyde or ketone, a reaction product between a polyamine and an organic anhydride, and an acidic compound. The acidic compound may be an organic acid, an acidic catalyst, or both. The acidic compound is supplied in quantities that lower the pH of the binder composition to about 5 or less. The binder compositions may be used in methods of binding fiberglass and the resulting fiberglass products have an improved tensile strength due to the addition of the acidic compound.

Abstract: Methods of making fiber reinforced composite articles are described. The methods may include treating fibers with a sizing composition that includes a polymerization compound, and introducing the treated fibers to a pre-polymerized composition. The combination of the treated fibers and pre-polymerized composition may then undergo a temperature adjustment to a polymerization temperature at which the pre-polymerized composition polymerizes into a plastic around the fibers to form the fiber-reinforced composite article. Techniques for introducing the treated fibers to the pre-polymerized composition may include pultrusion, filament winding, reactive injection molding (RIM), structural reactive injection molding (SRIM), resin transfer molding (RTM), vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM), long fiber injection (LFI), sheet molding compound (SMC) molding, bulk molding compound (BMC) molding, a spray-up application, and/or a hand lay-up application, among other techniques.

Abstract: Methods of making fiber reinforced composite articles are described. The methods may include treating fibers with a sizing composition that includes a polymerization compound, and introducing the treated fibers to a pre-polymerized composition. The combination of the treated fibers and pre-polymerized composition may then undergo a temperature adjustment to a polymerization temperature at which the pre-polymerized composition polymerizes into a plastic around the fibers to form the fiber-reinforced composite article. Techniques for introducing the treated fibers to the pre-polymerized composition may include pultrusion, filament winding, reactive injection molding (RIM), structural reactive injection molding (SRIM), resin transfer molding (RTM), vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM), long fiber injection (LFI), sheet molding compound (SMC) molding, bulk molding compound (BMC) molding, a spray-up application, and/or a hand lay-up application, among other techniques.

Abstract: Formaldehyde-free binder compositions are described that include an aldehyde or ketone, a reaction product between a polyamine and an organic anhydride, and an acidic compound. The acidic compound may be an organic acid, an acidic catalyst, or both. The acidic compound is supplied in quantities that lower the pH of the binder composition to about 5 or less. The binder compositions may be used in methods of binding fiberglass and the resulting fiberglass products have an improved tensile strength due to the addition of the acidic compound.

Abstract: Fiber-containing composites are described that include woven or non-woven fibers, and a binder that holds the fibers together. The binder may include the reaction product of a starch and a polycarboxylic acid. The starch has a weight average molecular weight that ranges from 1×106 Daltons to 10×106 Daltons. The fiber-containing composite has an unaged tensile strength of greater than 4.0 and an aged tensile strength greater than 3.0. Also described are methods of making the fiber-containing composites. The methods may include applying a binder composition to fibers to form coated fibers, measuring a moisture content of the coated fibers, and curing the coated fibers in a curing oven to form the fiber-containing composite. The binder composition may include a starch having a weight average molecular weight that ranges from 1×106 Daltons to 10×106 Daltons, and a polycarboxylic acid.

Abstract: Fiber-containing composites are described that include woven or non-woven fibers, and a binder that holds the fibers together. The binder may include the reaction product of a starch and a polycarboxylic acid. The starch has a weight average molecular weight that ranges from 1×106 Daltons to 1×107 Daltons. The fiber-containing composite has an unaged tensile strength of greater than 4.0 and an aged tensile strength greater than 3.0. Also described are methods of making the fiber-containing composites. The methods may include applying a binder composition to fibers to form coated fibers, measuring a moisture content of the coated fibers, and curing the coated fibers in a curing oven to form the fiber-containing composite. The binder composition may include a starch having a weight average molecular weight that ranges from 1×106 Daltons to 1×107 Daltons, and a polycarboxylic acid.

Abstract: Binder compositions are described that include at least one formaldehyde-containing compound, a cyclic urea-dialdehyde compound, and a polyamine compound. The polyamine compound may be selected from melamine and dicyandiamide. The weight ratio of the at least one formaldehyde-containing compound to the combined weight of the cyclic urea-dialdehyde compound and the polyamine compound may be greater than or about 1:1. As described are binder-containing fiberglass products that include glass fibers and a binder. The binder may include a formaldehyde polymer characterized by crosslinking with a cyclic urea-dialdehyde and a polyamine. The binder-containing fiberglass products have reduced formaldehyde emissions.

Abstract: Binder compositions are described that contain (1) a reducing sugar and (2) a reaction product of a urea compound and an aldehyde-containing compound. A specific example of the binder compositions include dextrose and an imidazolidine compound such as 4,5-dihydroxyimidazolidin-2-one. The binder compositions may be applied to collections of fibers and cured to form a fiber-containing composite, such as fiberglass insulation.

Abstract: Fiber-containing products are described that include a cured binder formed from a binder composition that may include a sugar alcohol having three or more carbon atoms, and a polymeric polycarboxylic acid. The binder composition may be characterized by a mole ratio of hydroxyl groups to carboxylic acid groups greater than or about 1.1:1. The fiber-containing product may also be characterized by a thermal stability that is greater than a comparative fiber-containing product made with a comparative cured binder that includes the polymeric polycarboxylic acid but lacks the sugar alcohol. The fiber-containing products may include thermal insulation products such as building insulation, pipe insulation, duct insulation, and appliance insulation.

Abstract: Fiber-containing composites are described that contain woven or non-woven fibers, and a cured binder formed from a binder composition that includes (1) a reducing sugar and (2) a crosslinking agent that includes a reaction product of a urea compound and a polycarbonyl compound. Exemplary reaction products for the crosslinking agent may include the reaction product of urea and an ?,?-bicarbonyl compound or an ?,?-bicarbonyl compound. Exemplary fiber-containing composites may include fiberglass insulation.