Patent ID: 11953141
Assignee: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
Field: Materials, metallurgy (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC F  C  Y | IPC C  F

Claim 16:
17. A method for forming a free-flowing insulating material, the method comprising steps of:
disposing hollow glass spheres within a rotating drum;
disposing a wax-based binder material within the rotating drum;
mixing the hollow glass spheres and the wax-based binder material within the rotating drum, wherein the wax-based binder material is mixed during a first mixing stage with the hollow glass spheres to partially occupy a plurality of interstitial spaces between the hollow glass spheres and define an adhering base material;
disposing a first insulating material within the rotating drum;
mixing the adhering base material with the first insulating material to define an insulating base;
disposing a second insulating material within the rotating drum; and
mixing the second insulating material with the insulating base to define a homogenous form of a super-insulating material, wherein the first and second insulating materials occupy substantially all of an interstitial volume defined by the plurality of interstitial spaces.