Abstract: A wet fiber based composition that includes wet glass fibers, a water dispersible polymeric resin, and gypsum is provided. Components including melamine formaldehyde, a filler material, coupling agents, acetic acid, an accelerator, and/or a hardener may also be added to the composition. The gypsum may be a-gypsum, B-gypsum, or combinations thereof. The wet glass fibers are wet chopped glass fibers or a wet continuous roving. The combination of the wet glass fibers, the water dispersible polymeric resin, and the gypsum have a synergistic effect that creates a composite product that is water resistant, fire resistant, and has improved mechanical properties. In one exemplary embodiment, the wet fiber based composition is used to form a gypsum board that can be molded into various composite products. In other exemplary embodiments, thin multi-ply gypsum boards may be formed by alternately layering glass mats with layers of a gypsum/polymer slurry.

Abstract: Dried bundles of chopped glass fibers that may be used in mat forming applications is provided. The chopped glass fiber bundles are formed of individual glass fibers positioned in a substantial parallel orientation. The dried chopped glass fiber bundles may be prepared by applying a size composition to attenuated glass fibers, splitting the fibers to obtain a desired bundle tex, chopping the wet glass bundles to a discrete length, and drying the wet glass bundles in a dielectric oven, a Cratec® oven, or a rotating tray oven. Alternatively, the dried chopped glass bundles may be prepared by sizing attenuated glass fibers, passing the sized fibers through a heat transfer chamber where air heated by a bushing is drawn into the heat transfer chamber to dry the glass fiber bundles, splitting the dried, sized glass fiber bundles to obtain a desired bundle tex, and chopping the dried bundles of glass fibers.

Abstract: A chopped strand mat formed of bundles reinforcin fibers and individual reinforcing fibers is provided. The chopped strand mat may be engineered to contain pre-selected amounts of bundles of reinforcement fibers and/or individual reinforcement fibers to select or enhance a particular feature of the chopped strand mat. In at least one embodiment, the reinforcing fibers are wet use chopped strand glass fibers. The reinforcing fibers are at least partially coated with a size composition that maintains bundle integrity during the formation of the mat and assists in filamentizing the bundles during subsequent processing steps in order to form chopped strand mat that gives an aesthetically pleasing look to the finished product. The retention of fiber bundles within the chopped strand mat creates a mat with a higher glass content per volume than conventional dispersed fiber mats. This increased glass content provides improved mechanical and impact performance to the final products.

Abstract: A sizing composition containing an epoxy film former, a silane package that includes an aminosilane coupling agent and an epoxy silane coupling agent, a cationic lubricant, a non-ionic lubricant, an antistatic agent, and at least one acid is provided. The epoxy resin emulsion includes a low molecular weight liquid epoxy resin and one or more surfactants. The epoxy resin preferably has an epoxy equivalent weight of from about 185 to about 192. The sizing composition may optionally contain polyurethane or epoxy/polyurethane film former. The sizing composition may be used to size glass fibers used in filament winding applications to form reinforced composite articles with improved mechanical properties, wet tensile properties, improved resistance to cracking, and improved processing characteristics. The sizing composition also provides improved processing parameters such as low fuzz and reduced drag.

Abstract: A sizing composition containing an epoxy resin emulsion, one or more coupling agents, a cationic lubricant, and an acid. The epoxy resin emulsion includes a low molecular weight epoxy and one or more surfactants. The epoxy resin has an epoxy equivalent weight of from 175-225, preferably from 175-190. Optionally, the sizing composition may also contain a non-ionic lubricant, a polyurethane film former, and/or an antistatic agent. The sizing composition may be used to size glass fibers used in filament winding applications to form reinforced composite articles with improved mechanical properties, wet tensile properties, improved resistance to cracking, and improved processing characteristics.