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

Claim 0:
1. A method for forming a free-flowing insulating material, the method comprising steps of:
disposing glass spheres within a rotating drum;
disposing at least one binder material within the rotating drum;
rotating the glass spheres and the at least one binder material within the rotating drum, wherein the at least one binder material is mixed with the glass spheres during a first mixing stage to partially occupy a plurality of interstitial spaces defined between the glass spheres;
disposing a first insulating material within the rotating drum;
mixing the at least one binder material, the first insulating material and the glass spheres 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.